J.J. Spaun joined this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast to discuss his U.S. Open title, career resurgence and more, and he also told the story of one friendly Rory McIlroy jab from the Masters.
As the in-studio interview was wrapping up, Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz asked Spaun, “Have you ever received any words of wisdom before the start of a playoff?”
Spaun cursed and then laughed. “I have,” he said.
First, let’s revisit the 2025 Players Championship. Spaun and McIlroy faced off in a three-hole aggregate playoff on a windy Monday morning — McIlroy looking for his second Players title and Spaun desperately searching for the biggest victory of his career.
McIlroy birdied the 16th and Spaun parred. On the famous par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass, however, the three-hole playoff was all but decided. McIlroy found the green, but Spaun flew it and landed in the water. He made 6, and McIlroy won the tournament a hole later.
“I was never thinking anything other than 8-iron,” Spaun said afterwards. “… Even after Rory hit 9, he’s easily a club longer than me. I don’t know if I flighted it too well, but it just went through the wind. I couldn’t even tell where it was going to be. I didn’t know what to tell it, like sit, go. If anything I was leaning more towards go. But it was a great shot. It was probably six, seven feet left of the pin, just perfect if it was the right distance. I couldn’t believe it was long.”
A few weeks later at the Masters, Spaun and Nico Echavarria were tied at the Masters Par-3 Contest. Sure, the annual Wednesday event is for fun, but they still hold a playoff to decide the winner. Spaun was making his way back to the Par-3 Course for the playoff when he crossed paths with McIlroy, who was leaving the range.
“[Rory’s] like, ‘Are you doing a playoff for the Par-3 Contest?'” Spaun said on Subpar. “I’m like, yeah, I guess. And he’s like, ‘Better get the club right this time.'”
“That hurt, that hit me deep,” Spaun said, smiling. “Shane Lowry was there, he’s like, ‘F—ing hell, Rory.’ Granted, it was a little rinky-dink par-3, but doesn’t matter, but it was still a little too soon to hear that. [The wound] was not healed yet.”
Spaun’s tone proved he wasn’t holding any grudge, and he can laugh about it now anyway (although he didn’t win that playoff either). After all, he gave this interview with the U.S. Open trophy sitting next to him.
You can listen to the complete Subpar interview with Spaun here or watch it on YouTube below.
