SAN ANTONIO — When J.J. Spaun broke through for his first PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open in 2022, the aftermath felt almost surreal. One moment, he was soaking in the easygoing rhythms of Central Texas; the next, he was being whisked onto golf’s grandest international stage at Augusta National.
“It all happened so fast,” Spaun admitted a year later, when he returned to TPC San Antonio as the defending champion. “I felt like I was in a dream. I was signing the registration book at Augusta National and thinking, I can’t believe I won my first Tour event yesterday — and now I’m here, preparing to play the Masters for the first time.”
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That victory proved to be more than a fleeting moment. In the seasons that followed, Spaun’s career accelerated dramatically. Last year, he finished inside the top 50 in all four major championships, etched his name into history by capturing the U.S. Open with one of the most improbable winning putts in recent memory, and amassed more than $13 million during the 2025 season. By year’s end, he had climbed to No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – APRIL 05: J.J. Spaun of the United States looks on from the eighth green during the final round of the Valero Texas Open 2026 at TPC San Antonio on April 05, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
But golf rarely moves in straight lines. The opening months of 2026 brought a far different rhythm, as Spaun struggled to regain his footing, missing the cut in four of his first seven starts. And so he arrived back in Central Texas once again, searching for the spark — and the feeling — that first turned a quiet week in San Antonio into a pinch‑me moment that changed everything.
Spaun did just that, using a gutsy eagle on the risk-reward 17th hole as the catalyst to securing his third PGA Tour victory, and putting him back in the proper mindset with the first major of 2026 just a few days away.
The California native fired a 32 on the back nine, and finished the wet and wild tournament at 17 under, holding off a charge from 54-hole leader Robert MacIntyre to claim the title.
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Spaun admitted that he came back this year with a grand plan that wasn’t panning out, and recently reverted to simply enjoying each round more.
“There’s just so much that comes with winning big events like that, like a U.S. Open or any other major,” Spaun said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself this year to start the year, and a lot of expectations. It’s the complete opposite of the mantra I had all year last year that really helped me, so I tried to get back to that. Went into the last few weeks, starting at The Players just trying to be freed up and put less pressure on myself. It’s been trying, but sticking to that mantra has really helped me.”
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – APRIL 05: J.J. Spaun of the United States looks at the trophy after winning the final round of the Valero Texas Open 2026 at TPC San Antonio on April 05, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MacIntyre, meanwhile, was gunning to be the third straight left-handed player to capture the Valero after Akshay Bhatia (2024) and Brian Harman (2025) each turned the trick, but the Scottish star posted a pair of bogeys on the back and looked to have fallen out of contention.
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He pulled back within a single shot when he, too, made eagle on No. 17, but a wayward second shot on the par-5 18th hole proved his ultimate demise.
Apr 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Robert MacIntyre watches his shot off the second tee during the final round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Since players needed to finish their third rounds earlier in the day, MacIntyre already had a crack at the par-5, which features an elevated green and a creek that runs in front. During his first run-through, MacIntyre took his second shot to the left, and the result was a bogey. Needing a birdie to force a playoff, he tried the right side this time and snap-hooked his second shot. Although he got relief and had a chance to get up and down to stay alive, his third shot just snuck on the green and he missed a 30-foot birdie putt.
“I don’t know if you’d seen my second shot this morning. I tried to hit up the left,” MacIntyre said. “I hit it right off the water. I meant to fade it, but the wind’s off the right, it’s just not a comfortable shot for me. I normally draw my 3-wood, so I should have just stood up there, but my job was to have a third shot, so just do not hit it in the water, so I just overcompensated, just pulled it. But that’s OK because I’ve got a shot. Yeah, could have done with it being a bit closer.”
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The Oaks Course was designed by Greg Norman, who has also built similar closing holes in other locales. MacIntyre said he simply wasn’t comfortable with the shot.
“That 18th hole, it just reminds me of the finishing hole of Jumeirah Golf Estates (in Dubai). Exact same designer,” MacIntyre said. “Carnage. Yeah, it was a good day in the end, but again, disappointing not to get the win.”
MacIntyre finished in a three-way tie with Matt Wallace, who used three birdies on Nos. 15-17 to get into the clubhouse as the early leader, and Michael Kim, who also used a 32 on the back to finish with a 69.
“I kind of got on a run starting on Friday afternoon there,” said Kim, who was already in the field for next week’s Masters. “Was able to keep it going for spurts when it was going well; it was going great. Lost my swing for a few holes there in the middle of the round today. I was kind of able to figure stuff out, and happy with the way I played.”
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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: J.J. Spaun wins Valero Texas Open, finds form for major
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