popular Meet JJ Spaun Family, Lifestyle, Career & More, 12 Jan.

For 34-year-old JJ Spaun, golf was written in the stars. Born on August 21, 1990, to John and Dollie Spaun, he took up golf at a very young age thanks to his parents’ influence. The supportive nature of his upbringing allowed him to excel and keep improving at golf, molding him into the player he is today.

Golf runs in the blood for JJ Spaun

While he was born in Los Angeles, Spaun was raised in San Dimas, California. JJ’s mother, Dollie, played golf regularly, so much so that when she was pregnant with JJ, she asked the doctor whether she could still play golf. She ended up playing golf till she was eight months pregnant after her doctor approved. “People would always tell me that my son was going to be a golfer when he grew up,” Dollie had told to Golfweek.

Her husband John was very supportive of JJ’s career in golf. As a toddler, JJ would watch John hit range balls from his stroller. As he grew up, John made a makeshift hitting net at home to practice, and John played a huge role in his son developing the fundamentals required. And it was John’s advice that JJ considers to have had the best impact on his life. “No”: John was stern and simple when JJ suggested that he wanted to be a professional skateboarder, an activity he took up with his friends.

Family and advice have always gone hand-in-hand for JJ Spaun.

A supportive wife and a loving family

JJ Spaun met his now-wife, Melody, at the San Diego State University. The two got married in July 2019 and have two daughters. Emerson Lili Spaun was born in November 2020, and Violet Windsor Spaun was born in June 2023. The couple also has a pet cat named Tinkles. Violet was born amid a hectic 2023 season for JJ Spaun.

The American golfer was scheduled to play in the Travelers Championship but decided to take a final call based on when the daughter was born. “She (Melody) was the one who said, ‘If the baby comes Monday, would you consider going? I would allow you to go, but I kind of don’t want you to go, but if you can make it worth your while there, then I’m OK with you going,’” the golfer recalled. Violet was born on Monday, and JJ made it to the tournament.

JJ is also a big fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, occasionally going to watch their matches at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles native also enjoys being a dad and having fun. The beach is one of his favorite go-to destinations. “I have a 2-year-old and a wife, yeah, so beach and just being a dad, having fun, Mai Tais, and chilling at the beach,” said the golfer. Melody also takes an active interest in Spaun’s career, and it was her advice during the Tournament of Champions 2023 that proved to be game-changing.

“I was only allowed five hours a day by my wife. But it was good. Maybe I should stick to it… because sometimes I can get like stuck out here for a long time,” he recalled. The time limit imposed by Melody worked wonders. He ended the first round with a share of the lead alongside Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm. The reduction of time helped JJ to refocus and improve efficiency. He ended up finishing a remarkable T5.

A career to be proud of

JJ did his schooling at San Dimas High School before joining San Diego State University in 2008, where he played collegiately. There, he majored in social science but chose to turn professional in 2012. JJ’s college career was remarkable, having been selected to the All-Mountain West Conference team two times, in 2010 and 2011, while also earning All-American honors in 2011 (third team) and 2012 (second team). He was also the All-Mountain West Conference player in 2011.

After turning professional, Spaun played three seasons on the PGA Tour Canada. He earned his first professional victory in July 2015 when he beat Nicholas Reach by 1 stroke to win the Staal Foundation Open. The victory earned JJ his first PGA Tour appearance at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open, where he finished T41. Spaun won the Northern Trust Open in 2016.

He earned his PGA Tour privileges in 2017 when he won the News Sentinel Open in the Web.com Tour (now Korn Ferry). It took JJ 147 starts to finally earn his first PGA Tour win. The then 31-year-old won the 2022 Valero Texas Open with a score of 13 under par, beating Australian Matt Jones and fellow American Matt Kuchar by a margin of 2 strokes.

Ever since then, JJ Spaun has been on a journey of so close yet so far in his search for the next title, finishing in the top 10 9 times. Do you think that JJ will strike gold again?