The FedEx St. Jude Championship at Memphis, Tennessee, from August 7 to 10th has delivered a seat-gripping show from the very first round. The first event of the playoffs, St. Jude, provided a rollercoaster of emotions to its fans. From a weather delay that disrupted momentum early in Round 2 to a flyover tribute in Round 3, the championship has seen its iconic moments. However, the true star of the show was the fiery battle in the final Sunday round. While the world sat with anticipation, Scottie Scheffler‘s loss by a hair-thin margin turned heads around.
It was Justin Rose who clinched the title and the handsome $3.6 million payout. Finishing strong with a sensational 16-under and defeating JJ Spaun on the third playoff hole, Rose is commanding the headlines now. However, despite Spaun not winning the playoff against Rose, the 34-year-old deserves his own spotlight. Spaun’s T10 appearances this year have been limited. But he has consistently shown a strong putting game on the course. Even World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has praised his exceptional, solid shot-shaping.
Scheffler’s appreciation roots from a shared event earlier this year at the US Open. Both players teed it off together at Oakmont Country Club, eyes fixated on the win. After a brutal weather delay owed to heavy rain, Sunday finally headed to its decisive moments. The greens were completely unrecognizable, drenched in water. Every time the clubs made contact with the course, it caused a splash. Even Scheffler barely knew where the ball would go once he hit it. But Spaun showed no signs of struggle.
In fact, he said the reset was what he needed. One who had started their day with 5 bogeys on the first 6 holes, quickly made a redemption after the onset of the weather delay. At the end of the day, Scheffler ended T7 while Spaun surged to the top, getting the win.
Hot off his win at the US Open, Spaun was determined to win the PGA Tour events. However, things didn’t go as planned with a missed cut at the Scottish Open and poor leaderboard results at the Travelers Championship (T14) and the Open (T23). Heading into the playoffs, Spaun knew he had to redeem himself from his recent losses. With fierce shots and a convinced outlook, Spaun set forward to the week. However, Spaun failed to win against Justin Rose in the playoff round of the St. Jude Championship. But Spaun had succeeded in outscoring the World No. 1 again.
In the post-match interview, Scheffler, who finished T3, was asked what he felt about the runner-up, JJ Spaun. Scheffler didn’t hesitate to praise the US Open winner, saying, “Yeah, he’s a great player. He’s got a ton of talent.” Talking about Spaun’s solid putting game, Scheffler added, “He hits it really, really solid. To win a U.S. Open you’ve got to grind really hard, and he’s a guy that he gets the ball in play, hits it really solid and he holes a lot of putts. He’s a tough guy to beat.”
In hindsight, Scheffler appraised Spaun’s jaw-dropping poise at the US Open, too. Scheffler knows what it takes to win the US Open, and he didn’t downplay Spaun’s achievement. “You love seeing guys like that have success, guys that work hard and get the most out of their games, and J.J. is definitely one of those guys that’s a grinder out here. You always see him practicing, see him in the gym.” A nod of approval from the World No. 1 surely is an accolade in itself. “Definitely happy to see him having the success that he has,” Scheffler added.
Is JJ Spaun’s redemption possible after the nail-biting playoff against Rose?
Justin Rose and JJ Spaun’s exceptional striking matched their scores, leading to the need for an extra playoff round. The round had fans on the edge with thrilling shot-shaping from both sides. Spaun matched pars on the first hole. The second hole saw a gripping tie with both players hitting birdies. The decisive hole didn’t come around until the third hole, where Spaun failed to match Rose’s clutch birdie. Spaun put on a show until the very last moment, losing by a narrow margin. However, Rose took home the win, ending his 2-year winless drought. Being so close to the win, St. Jude was a heartbreaking loss for Spaun.
However, this moment has a deeper implication. After winning the US Open, Spaun ended a 3-year PGA Tour drought. Spaun’s maiden title came in 2022 at the Valero Texas Open. Since then, the PGA Tour pro hadn’t seen any title wins. This was until the US Open, where Spaun proved a comeback was possible. With his outstanding gameplay at the first event of the playoffs, Spaun not only outscored Scheffler but also showcased a jaw-dropping redemption.
Would he be able to reflect the same poise and control at the BMW Championship? Well, we have another week to figure that out.
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