In the world of golf, J.J. Spaun is no stranger to controversy. While his recent maneuver into The PLAYERS Championship playoff, following two granted reliefs, made headlines, it’s his behavior at The Masters that’s currently under scrutiny.
To set the stage, let’s rewind to 2022 when Spaun made his first major appearance of the season at The Masters. Coming off the win that secured his entry into this prestigious tournament, Spaun delivered his best major performance yet, finishing T23. Yet it’s not his performance on the green that’s causing chatter, but rather his off-the-course antics.
An incident that occurred during the 2022 PGA Championship in Louisville was brought to light on a recent episode of the Fore Play Podcast Plus. The hosts recounted a moment when Spaun, responding to a tweet announcing Dan Rapaport’s addition to the podcast, made a snide remark: “I’ll probably hate him more than pizza boy @FrankieBorrelli.”
This jibe was aimed at the hosts who, during the eagerly awaited entry of Tiger Woods into the 2022 Masters, had used Spaun’s name in their news coverage due to his recent win and the fact that he was set to play alongside Woods. Further enhancing the connection, Spaun had become the first player to win after making a double in the 1st hole since Woods’s 2008 U.S. Open.
The hosts defended their decision, stating that mentioning Spaun in relation to Woods made sense given the circumstances. In the aftermath of his win, Spaun had reflected, “I think a year ago … I would have been telling you I have to do a lot of work to [stay on tour]. But to be here and overcome a lot of things and finally get a win? It’s everything you dream of.” This statement, coupled with his strong performance, marked him as a person of interest in the 2022 season.
Despite his growing prominence on the tour, Spaun’s performance in recent seasons has been mixed. Yet, he remained positive about his trajectory, saying in 2022, “It was going up, and then all of a sudden this gets thrown at me. It was kinda weird; I didn’t want it to mess with me mentally, but it was a big change.”
Following his loss at The PLAYERS Championship, Spaun shared his perspective on his performance and the role of golf in his life. He said, “I kind of have a different perspective on things as far as, like, golf has been my life ever since maybe college and stuff, and turning pro and climbing the ranks and trying to make a living at this, I have like a four-year-old now and 20-month-old, two girls.”
This balance between family and golf has led him to implement the five-hour rule, limiting his practice time to 300 minutes, after which he devotes time to his family. He stated, “Golf isn’t everything anymore, and it’s easy to kind of just let golf be golf. It’s not the end of the world if I play bad,” a sentiment he echoes even when he plays well.
As the 2025 season continues, it remains to be seen whether J.J. Spaun’s performance or his off-the-course controversies will dominate the headlines.
