The aftermath of the playoff at The Players last week saw American golfer J.J. Spaun under fire, with accusations leveled at him for potentially eying Rory McIlroy’s club selection on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. However, Spaun is not one to accept criticism without a fight.
In the playoff, Spaun’s performance took a hit right from the outset. His fate was seemingly sealed when his shot on the 17th hole found water, with McIlroy safely on the green. A misjudgment of the wind led to Spaun overshooting the green and landing in the water.
The incident attracted attention when Spaun was seen glancing at McIlroy’s club selection before taking his tee shot. Viewers and commentators alike picked up on this, sparking a wave of criticism.
Refusing to take this critique lying down, Spaun addressed the issue on the ForePlay golf podcast. Explaining the widely circulated clip of him eyeing McIlroy’s club choice, Spaun stressed that he had already decided on his shot before the glance.
“We were warming up, we knew it’s the same pin location, same tee as regulation so we knew how far it was,” Spaun stated. He further clarified, “I didn’t care what Rory was hitting but I looked just to gauge the kind of shot that I hit with it was going to determine if it was the right distance.”
In defense of his actions, Spaun noted how McIlroy’s reputation as one of the biggest hitters on tour affected perceptions. People were quick to criticize when they saw him with a 9-iron while McIlroy hit an 8-iron. But as Spaun pointed out, McIlroy is known to be two clubs longer than him.
Despite the loss, Spaun held no grudges against McIlroy. He praised the Northern Irish golfer for his sportsmanship and camaraderie during their playoff. Losing to a player of McIlroy’s caliber was, according to Spaun, easier to accept.
“He is super cool,” Spaun said about McIlroy on the podcast. Their conversation during the final round ranged from discussions about the UK, where McIlroy hails from, to Spaun’s personal anecdotes about visiting quaint villages in the Cotswolds.
While this playoff may have been a tough learning experience for Spaun, it was also valuable. The incident has not only made him wiser but also a couple of million dollars richer. Whether or not he will ever face McIlroy in a playoff again remains to be seen. Nevertheless, he will undoubtedly carry the lessons from this experience into future games.
