How JJ Spaun and PUMA Turned Patience Into a Major Moment
This year’s U.S. Open delivered one of the most unexpected major wins in recent memory. I took a look at how JJ Spaun’s journey, and his early partnership with PUMA Golf, came together to create one of the most powerful stories in the sport.
There’s something different about this win.
JJ Spaun wasn’t supposed to be here, at least not by golf’s traditional standards. He wasn’t a top-ranked junior. He didn’t attend a prestigious academy or sign a blue-chip scholarship. He walked on at San Diego State, quietly grinding his way forward. The kind of journey that rarely ends with a major championship.
But on a punishing Sunday at Oakmont, Spaun proved that paths don’t have to be perfect to lead to greatness. After opening his final round with five bogeys in his first six holes, he could’ve faded. Instead, he kept fighting. And on the 18th green, with a 64-foot birdie putt, he didn’t just win the U.S. Open, he earned it.
This wasn’t a story of dominance. It was a story of belief, resilience, and relentless consistency. A story of someone who didn’t break through early, but never stopped breaking through barriers.
The Long Way Around
To truly appreciate this win, you need to understand just how far Spaun had to travel to get here.
In 2013, he made just $11,775 playing on the Canadian Tour. A year later, he only made one cut, taking home $825. But in 2015, he won the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit and earned a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour. From there, the climb continued.
- 2016: Finished 3rd on the Korn Ferry money list, earned his PGA Tour card.
- 2017–2018: Finished 97th, then 62nd in FedExCup standings, steady, but unspectacular.
- 2019–2020: Dropped to 99th, then all the way to 185th. Spaun lost his card.
Most players don’t come back from that. Spaun did.
In 2021, he earned his way back via the Korn Ferry Finals. In 2022, he won his first PGA Tour event at the Valero Texas Open and finished 34th in the FedEx standings. Over the next two seasons, he held steady, 62nd in 2023, 98th in 2024. Then earlier this year came a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the 2025 Players Championship, a heartbreaker, but also a sign: Spaun was getting close.
Oakmont confirmed it.
A Foundation Built at Home
Spaun’s work ethic didn’t come from nowhere. It was shaped early by his parents, John and Dollie, and rooted in a deep sense of cultural pride.
Dollie, an avid golfer, even played while pregnant with JJ. Both Filipino and Mexican, she passed down more than a love for the game, she passed down quiet strength, focus, and joy. His dad, John, was just as instrumental, encouraging his son to pursue a dream that often felt out of reach.
That mix of steady belief, family support, and underdog spirit became Spaun’s foundation. It’s why, when the spotlight finally found him, he didn’t flinch.
The Right Partner at the Right Time
By 2023, Spaun had fought his way back to tour regular status, steady but not flashy. That’s when PUMA Golf stepped in.
They didn’t wait until he had a major trophy. They signed him because they saw something more: a player who reflected their brand values, gritty, authentic, and future-facing.
It wasn’t a headline-grabbing deal. It was a purposeful one.
And now, it’s paying off.
After his U.S. Open win, PUMA Golf and PUMA USA celebrated the moment across social channels, showcasing a partnership that had been built on belief, not just results. But for a win this big, there’s still room to go bigger. As of now, PUMA’s main brand account has yet to spotlight the moment, a missed opportunity to celebrate not just a player, but the values they share.
Because PUMA didn’t just sign a major champion. They signed JJ Spaun. And now, they have both.
What This Win Really Means
This isn’t a fairytale. It’s something better: a blueprint.
A case study in how grit, patience, and purpose can break through. Spaun didn’t rise overnight. He built something durable, hole by hole, round by round, season by season.
“I wasn’t raised or groomed to be a professional golfer,” he said in an interview last year. “I didn’t know what my ceiling was… and I still don’t.”
That uncertainty? It’s no longer a limitation. It’s a launch pad.
Spaun’s U.S. Open victory is a win for walk-ons. For mini-tour grinders. For families that sacrifice. For brands that invest early. For everyone who believes that potential isn’t found in the spotlight, it’s forged in the shadows.
And now, for the first time, JJ Spaun isn’t chasing legitimacy. He’s earned it.
The only question now is: how far can he go?
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