Is JJ Spaun diabetic? Golfer's fight with the 'misdiagnosed' disease explored

Yes, JJ Spaun is diabetic. The 34-year-old was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2018. However, in 2021, it was revealed that he had Type 1 diabetes and was misdiagnosed, as per PGA Tour. Diabetes has affected his performance on the PGA Tour.

JJ Spaun turned professional in 2012. He initially played on the PGA Tour Canada and advanced to the Web.com Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) for the 2016 season. He earned a PGA Tour card for the 2016-17 season.

Spaun had a splendid start on the PGA Tour, making 18 cuts in 29 events in his first season. Next year, he made 17 cuts in 29 events, including four top-10 finishes. In the 2018-19 PGA Tour season, he made 19 cuts in 26 events.

However, after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, his performance deteriorated. In the 2019-20 season, he made only 10 cuts in 20 starts, failing to make a top-10 finish. In the 2020-21 season, he made 12 cuts in 26 starts and had only one top-10 finish.

Since the 2021-22 season, Spaun has regained his form. He won his first PGA Tour event at the 2022 Valero Texas Open. Last year, he had four top-10 finishes and finished 96th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, as he made 16 cuts in 28 starts.

JJ Spaun is currently competing at The Players Championship. He is tied for first position with Rory McIlroy after 72 holes at a score of 12-under.

After four rounds of play, American golf analyst Peter Kostis praised JJ Spaun on X (formerly Twitter) for his performance despite battling diabetes. He wrote:

"Major props to J.J. Spaun! He is a terrific person who battled misdiagnosed diabetes for well over a year that resulted in his loss of form. Regardless of tomorrow's result, he is a huge winner!"

Kostis scored 66, 68, 70 and 72 in the four rounds of the Players Championship. He tied for 64th last year and failed to make the cut in 2022 and 2023.

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A look at JJ Spaun's performance in 2025

JJ Spaun has had a solid start to the 2025 season. He has played in eight tournaments and made the cut in seven of them. He has two top-five and three top-10 finishes so far. He's positioned 15th in the FedEx Cup standings this year.

Spaun's best finish came at the Cognizant Classic where he was tied for second. His other notable finishes include a T3 at the Sony Open and a T15 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Let's look at JJ Spaun's performances in the 2025 season on the PGA Tour:

• Sony Open in Hawaii: T3 (66-66-65-68, 265, -15)
• The American Express: T29 (64-66-71-73, 274, -14)
• Farmers Insurance Open: T15 (73-72-71-71, 287, -1)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T33 (70-68-70-71, 279, -9)
• WM Phoenix Open: Withdrawn (73, +2)
• The Genesis Invitational: T34 (76-69-73-70, 288, E)
• Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: T2 (64-70-67-66, 267, -17)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational: T31 (75-71-73-70, 289, +1)