JJ Spaun Wins Valero Texas Open
JJ Spaun wins Valero Texas Open to become the ninth first time victor on the PGA tour this year.
Looking, and named, more like a villain in some bad ass movie, JJ outplayed a lot of higher profile players in this tournament.
He played the better golf on the final day, putting everything in, when he had to. Spaun pitched in a few times throughout the championship to shoot 13 under and post a winning score. Diminutive in size but with plenty of game to conquer a challenging golf course JJ got the job done when it mattered most.
Texas Open Champion JJ Spaun
JJ Spaun is born of Philippine and Mexican parentage to extend the global reach of elite golf. He is also a type 1 diabetic, who was misdiagnosed earlier on to cause problems with his health, which he overcame to win the Valero Texas Open. Matt Jones finished tied second with Matt Kuchar after storming home with a final round of 66. There were a bunch of players in contention after 54 holes but only Spaun played the kind of golf required for victory on Sunday. Beau Hossler had his chances late in the round but couldn’t make his putts.
Spaun First Time Winner in Texas
The producers at Golf Channel must be pulling their hair out with so many first-time winners this season. Sport’s producers on TV networks far prefer to tell stories involving champions like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and other world number ones. The fans tune in more closely to narratives featuring well known champions. Elite tournament golf is a merry-go-round of first-time winners in 2022. Plus, no player in last year’s top ten has won so far this season on the PGA tour.
There is so much golfing talent out there and the arrival of JJ Spaun in the victor’s circle is another announcement of this. Spaun at 32 has, perhaps, taken his time getting to the podium but his formative years had him in the top twenty in college golf. His opponents in college golf included Justin Thomas, Brookes Koepka, and Jordan Spieth. This championship win may see him open the gates for more victories at the pointy end of professional golf. JJ Spaun played top quality golf on the final of a PGA tour event earmarking him as a worthy winner capable of getting the job done at this level.
