The 2025 Players Championship has been concluded, and J.J. Spaun emerged as the runner-up. During the fourth round of the tournament, he found himself in a difficult position, and he took advantage of the rules to get out of a tight spot.
American golfer J.J. Spaun started playing golf as a pro in 2012. The PGA Tour player won the 2022 Valero Texas Open by two strokes ahead of Matt Jones and Matt Kuchar. He also competed in the 2022 Masters Tournament where he finished at T23.
On the fourth day of the Players Championship, J.J. Spaun’s shot on the par-5 9th hole landed deep in the rough, which left him with a difficult lie for his next shot. However, Spaun realized that his foot was on a sprinkler head, which, under golf rules, makes him eligible for free relief. This allowed Spaun to drop the ball within one club length of the hole.
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Fortunately for the 34-year-old golfer, after the initial drop, his ball landed near another sprinkler head within the relief area. He further used this position to his advantage and shot the ball into the fairway before sinking a birdie putt.
He made three bogeys during the fourth round— two on holes five and eight and one on hole 11. He also made three birdies on holes nine, 14, and 16, carding a 72 at the end of the day. This brought his total score to 66-68-70-72.
After the fourth round of the Players Championship, J.J Spaun proceeded into a playoff with Rory McIlroy. However, his 17th tee shot found the water, and a triple-bogey eventually cost him the Players Championship title. He emerged as runner-up at the end of the day, with 12-under, while McIlroy lifted the trophy.
J.J. Spaun’s sprinkler gate incident sparked controversy among fans and commentators alike. Some are of the opinion that J.J. Spaun’s move is considered cheating, while others believe that he is smart for using the rules to his advantage.
“I was stunned”: J.J. Spaun reflects on the Players Championship outcome
Following the Players Championship playoff, J.J. Spaun asked to watch the replay of his tee shot on No.17, which found the water. He reacted to it, saying he was surprised by the shot and he wasn’t expecting it to be long.
“I mean, look how high it is. It’s floating. I can’t, I almost wanted to say get up because it just looked like it was going to be short. But anyways, I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it was long,” Spaun said. (Via Golf.com)
“And yeah all I can do, I’m happy with the swing I put on it, I am. And the wind must’ve just laid down just a little too much and just went through the wind. Wasn’t my time,” he added.
Spaun went home with $2.725 million for his performance, while Rory McIlroy won $4.5 million. The tournament had a total prize purse of $25 million.
