Competing for wins every week on the PGA Tour can be a real grind, and even the highs come with their own kind of weight.
Just look at Rory McIlroy. Even after his Masters win, he said he felt like hiding and appreciated the time back home before gearing up for The Open Championship.
Add in an intense Ryder Cup, where the crowd energy at Bethpage Black was off the charts, and it makes sense that some players needed to step away from golf to recharge before jumping into another season.
That break was necessary for more than one player. One major champion even mentioned he couldn’t stand the sight of his clubs after Bethpage.
J.J. Spaun explains why he stepped away from golf after the Ryder Cup
J.J. Spaun has just come off the best year of his career. In 2024, he was close to walking away from the game after nearly losing his PGA Tour card, but he bounced back in a big way, winning the US Open at Oakmont and becoming one of Team USA’s top performers at the Ryder Cup.
But this means that Spaun was playing under far more duress than he was used to during his professional career.
The sudden rise in profile put him in some high-pressure situations — from the spotlight of a playoff against Justin Rose at the St. Jude Championship to leading down the stretch at Oakmont.
Spaun took some time off after it all and said it was necessary. He explained: “I took two weeks off after the Ryder Cup. It was the first time, actually, I was sick of looking at my clubs. I think it was such a stressful year, an intense year as far as what I’m used to.”
“After about two weeks, I told myself ‘Maybe it’s time to start swinging a bit’. I don’t want to be too rusty, but I think two weeks is my limit.”
Spaun’s return has gone smoothly so far – he picked up three top-30 finishes across four starts between January and April before earning his first top-10 finish since October at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Spaun starts strong at the Hero World Challenge
J.J. Spaun has returned to competition for the first time in a month, teeing it up at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge. Despite the layoff, he’s held his own against some of the world’s top players, including Scottie Scheffler.
Once again, Spaun is proving that he belongs on this level. He shares the lead at Albany after an opening round of six-under-par.
Spaun posted seven birdies in a strong start to his week. While he could have had the solo lead if not for a bogey on his final hole – one of the trickier closing holes – it was still an impressive opening round from the American.
With Scheffler also sitting at six-under, there’s plenty of work ahead for Spaun if he wants to come out on top. But performances like this continue to reinforce that his US Open victory wasn’t just a one-off moment.
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