Poston has been on fire since missing back-to-back cuts at the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship in June.
LAS VEGAS — J.T. Poston continues to grow, as a golfer and a fledgling facial hair connoisseur.
The newly mustachioed Poston continued to play great golf during the opening round of the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on Thursday, all part of a fun stretch for the Western Carolina product.
Poston, who has been on fire since missing back-to-back cuts at the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship in June, was sporting a stiff and shaggy upper lip as he went 4 under on the day’s final four holes, including an eagle on the ninth hole, to post an 8-under 63 that had him near the top of the leaderboard.
He’s hoping to keep the momentum of four top-10 finishes in his last seven events, not to mention the new facial hair, as the week progresses.
“Just something I started having fun with in the off-season, knowing I was going to be in my own home and not out in public too much, and just decided to keep it,” Poston said of the mustache. “We’re just having fun with it for now, but I don’t know if it’s going to be a permanent thing.”
Looking back at the whirlwind experience a year removed, Spaun still gets a wide smile.
SAN ANTONIO — A year ago, J.J. Spaun came to the Valero Texas Open looking to reach the weekend, not the Masters. But the San Diego State alum held off Matt Jones, Beau Hossler and others to take the title, punching his first ticket to Augusta National.
Looking back at the whirlwind experience a year removed, Spaun still gets a wide smile.
“I’ve heard the cliche, like the ‘pinch me’ moments. That’s kind of what I felt for like the first time in my life going from the win here and then literally like flying over the next morning to Augusta and then registering,” Spaun recalled Wednesday. “It just happened so fast that I felt like I was in a dream because I was there signing the registration book at the player office at Augusta National and I’m just like everything’s happened so fast, like I can’t believe not only did I just win my first Tour event yesterday, but now I’m here at the Masters already like preparing to play my first time at Augusta.
“It was definitely a fantasy as far as like the whole experience. I was super happy to be there and to also have a good week, a good showing at Augusta. I know what I’ve got to do this week to get back there.”
Spaun did have a fine showing at the 2022 Masters, using a second-round 70 to finish tied for 23rd. However, despite a number of strong finishes since his dream run, the Southern Californian finds himself in a similar position, needing a victory at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course this week to get another ticket to Georgia.
Spaun appeared on pace to play his way in when he posted five straight top-15 finishes earlier this season, but four missed cuts in five starts reversed his course. The 32-year-old said he got derailed a bit when coach Adam Schriber broke his pelvis in December, and all alone on the road, Spaun admitted he might have gotten “too wrapped up in his golf swing.”
An impressive showing at last week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play has him believing he’s righted the ship, however. Spaun emerged from his pool undefeated before falling to Xander Schauffele in the Round of 16 at Austin Country Club.
Of course, Spaun isn’t the only one hoping to play his way back to the Masters this week. Rickie Fowler, who has surged of late, is also hoping to get back to Augusta National for an 11th time, looking to avoid a string of three straight years without playing in the April staple.
But Spaun said that’s what makes this week in San Antonio special. The field might not be as strong as in other events — No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking Tyrrell Hatton leads the field — but Spaun said the intrigue stems from a hungry field that knows a few hot rounds could mean a berth in the Augusta field.
“There’s perks to every single win but I think this one’s kind of extra special and has extra meaning because it’s your last chance to get into Augusta,” he said. “It’s weird, last year I wasn’t even thinking about that and I know maybe that’s kind of what mentally kept me in the present and not thinking ahead and not putting too much pressure on myself. I’ll try not to think about it too much.
“If I play great and win, we’ll kind of go through that whole cyclone of a mess, I guess, in a good way of going from here straight to Augusta. But that would be awesome.”
See the full field for the 2023 Valero Texas Open here.
After a long week in Austin, Texas, at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the PGA Tour heads down the road for the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) in San Antonio.
J.J. Spaun returns to the site of his first PGA Tour win and is the defending champion. He’s joined by Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Tyrrell Hatton. Fowler will need a good finish to have any chance of getting into the Masters.
Zalatoris missed a birdie putt at the last that would have awarded him a Friday tee time.
Welcome to your rare Thursday 36-hole cut report.
The wind huffed and puffed and blew half the field at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on their way out of town. It took even-par 144 to survive and advance and claim a Friday tee time and remain alive with a chance to hoist the trophy and go home with the winner’s surfboard on Saturday.
It will be a big field with 19 players tied for 54th place, including Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau, who both made birdies at the last to give themselves a chance to try and catch 36-hole leader Sam Ryder (-12). But not everyone was so lucky. Here are some of the notable names to miss the cut.
Collin Morikawa got into the Aloha Spirit with a 7-under 66 at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course on Friday.
KAPALUA, Hawaii – There is a flicker of excitement in the dark eyes of Collin Morikawa at the mention of playing golf in Hawaii.
Front Street in Maui is where his grandparents were born and once owned a restaurant.
“Every time we walk by, my dad, I know he just kind of goes back to being a kid,” Morikawa said. “Like you could tell he wishes it was still there. I wish it was still there.”
Morikawa also wishes he could win a PGA Tour event in the Aloha State and notch his first victory since the 2021 British Open. He’s off to a good start, following up 64 with a bogey-free 7-under 66 on Friday to improve to 16-under 130 — marking his career-low 36-hole score on Tour —and take a two-stroke lead into the weekend.
“With conditions where it’s windy and pins are kind of in spots where you got to be really precise with your distance control and trajectory, it’s tailor-made for him,” said J.J. Spaun, who played in the final group on Friday with Morikawa.
Nothing would bring Morikawa more joy than doing so in front of so many family and friends.
“We had about 15 people here yesterday. So I think they will sprinkle in here and there throughout the week,” he said. “But for me, it’s just stay focused and get the job done.”
On another picture-postcard day, Morikawa came out of the gate hot, carding four birdies in his first five holes. He shot 66 despite failing to birdie two of the par 5s, Nos. 9 and 18. Through 36 holes, he’s the only player in the 38-man field that is bogey-free.
Morikawa, who recently started working with putting coach Stephen Sweeney, is having an exceptional week on the greens. He ranks first in Strokes Gained: Putting (+3.623).
“Before, it was just rolling the dice and guessing. So it’s just I have a little, I’m at ease now, knowing if I hit a bad shot or a good shot, just what I’m doing,” Morikawa said.
Here are four more things to know from the second round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Plenty of players are looking to punch their tickets to East Lake Golf Club.
The second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs begins Thursday at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, at the BMW Championship. That means only the top-70 players from the PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings qualified and are shooting for the season-long prize, the FedEx Cup.
Only 68 players will tee it up, and from there, only the top 30 in the standings advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The winner of the FedEx Cup Playoffs will take home $18 million and the FedEx Cup.
Cameron Smith, No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings and into next week’s field, won’t tee it up at the BMW Championship, withdrawing Monday.
Here’s a closer look at some names in the FedEx Cup points standings, including those who are on the bubble and others who need a big week to make the Tour Championship.
“Conversations with Champions, presented by Sentry” is a new weekly series Golfweek that is a collaboration with the Caddie Network. Each week, we’ll take you behind the scenes in a chat with the winning caddie from the most recent PGA Tour event. This week: J.J. Spaun and caddie Mark Carens at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
J.J. Spaun is a first-time winner on the PGA Tour, and he couldn’t have picked a better time to find the winner’s circle.
With his win at the Valero Texas Open, Spaun earned the final spot into the 2022 Masters Tournament. He also can circle the first weekend in January 2023 on his calendar and he’s also headed to the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
“Two of the best events. And two of the hardest walks that you don’t even feel so it’s pretty crazy,” Spaun’s caddie Mark Carens told John Rathouz of the Caddie Network the day after the victory.
Carens called in from his courtesy car at Augusta National Golf Club, donning a Masters hat and a Masters T-shirt.
“We’re both super excited to be there. I can’t wait to just enjoy it with him. We’re going to have smiles on our faces the whole time. We’re looking forward to it.”
Spaun and Carens played the first eight holes before darkness Monday after spending time on the range and practice green.
J.J. Spaun and caddie Mark Carens celebrate after winning the 2022 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio. (Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Spaun, 31, turned pro in 2012 and reached the PGA Tour in 2017. He and his wife Melody and their young daughter Emerson making the trip to Augusta Monday morning in style, thanks to a jet provided by Valero.
“I think I’m still going through so much excitement and emotion that like even when I was registering, I was like, is this really happening? Is this a dream?” Spaun said. “I know it’s so cliche for people to say that, but it really was. It was like, am I here? It’s great. It’s a very special experience for anyone, and for me, for my first time, and I’m very excited to be here.”
Spaun’s victory in Texas was spurred on by his chipping. He holed out for eagle in the opening round on No. 8 from 87 yards, which gave him a boost of momentum.
“He told me, he’s like ‘Going from 1 over to 1 under is like the greatest thing ever,'” Carens said. “And then Saturday he chipped in on the par 3, dicey shot.”
Sunday, Spaun hit a microphone, but that didn’t deter him.
“He could see it and he’s like ‘It kicked to the left!’ and I was like ‘Hey this is perfect, let’s go to hoop town’,” Carens said. “And he made it.”
That blind shot on the 9th hole from 50 feet set the table for Spaun to close it out down the stretch at TPC San Antonio.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet. I think I’m going to need an off week to let it all sink in,” he said. “It’s a dream come true, and I’m so happy to be here.”
Dennis Knight from the Augusta Chronicle contributed to this article.
The equipment
A complete list of the golf equipment Spaun used to win the PGA Tour’s 2022 Valero Texas Open:
DRIVER:Ping G425 LST (9 degrees), with Fujikura Ventus Black 6X shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS:TaylorMade SIM (15 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70 TX shaft, Callaway Mavrik (18 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana BF 80TX shaft
IRONS:Srixon ZX7 (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts
WEDGES:Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50, 54, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Newport 2 GSS prototype
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He’s also earned his first and the final spot in all in the 2022 Masters Tournament, which starts in five days at Augusta National Golf Club.
Sunday at TPC San Antonio, Spaun overcame an opening-hole double bogey to win, the first golfer take card as double bogey on the first hole of a final round yet still go on to win since Tiger Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open.
His final-round 69 included five birdies 12 pars, including the last four holes, to pocket the $1,548,000 first-place prize.
Matt Jones and Matt Kuchar finished tied fore second, two shots back. Four golfers finished tied for fourth, three back, including Charles Howell III, who recorded his 98th top-10 finish in 603 starts on the PGA Tour.
Check out the prize money payouts for the entire field at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
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Spaun’s biggest fairytale moment came in Texas on Sunday when he emerged from a jam-packed leaderboard.
SAN ANTONIO — Growing up in Southern California, J.J. Spaun’s fondest childhood memories came at Disneyland, a place he remembers roaming as a preschooler and later enjoyed while holding a season’s pass as an adult.
But Spaun’s biggest fairytale moment came in Texas on Sunday when the former San Diego State University star — who turned pro nearly a decade ago — emerged from a jam-packed leaderboard to capture his first PGA Title, holding off Matt Jones, Beau Hossler and others to take the Valero Texas Open.
In his 147th Tour start, Spaun followed a double-bogey on the opening hole with solid, if unspectacular play, holding steady in a stiff Texas breeze while others faded. With the victory, he earned his first berth to the Masters, which starts this week in Augusta, Georgia. He shot a 69 on Sunday and finished the event at 13 under.
Spaun entered this week with just 11 career top-10 finishes and was a 150-1 shot to win, but he watched as a number of other players flamed out and calmly drained a number of mid-sized par putts to stay in the lead.
The 242nd-ranked player in the world coming into the event, Spaun played defensive down the stretch — hitting iron off the tee on the risk/reward 17th hole and making par with a four-foot putt. He made things interesting on the final hole, pulling his drive left down a hill on a par-5, but Spaun played safely out of the rough and avoided any major mishaps.
Matt Kuchar, who was two down on the final hole, went for the green on the par-5 and dropped his second shot in the water.
By virtue of an impressive 66, Matt Jones finished tied for runner-up with Kuchar at 11 under, although he’d finished nearly two hours before Spaun did. Canadian Adam Hadwin was third at 10 under, tied with Troy Merritt and Charles Howell III.
Among the others who made noise on Sunday were Keegan Bradley — who shot a 66 to get into the conversation early at 9 under, before the pack kept pulling away from him — and former Texas star Hossler, who was tied for the lead to start the day but scrambled all day and finally fell out of contention with a double-bogey on the 14th hole.
