J.J. Spaun burst onto the golf scene this year, and he has parlayed his successes into his first Ryder Cup appearance.
Spaun stunned the world early in the season when he was in a playoff for the Players Championship against eventual winner, and Team Europe mainstay, Rory McIlroy.
But he continued to play consistent golf and took home his first major championship by winning the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. It was just the second win of his career, as he also took home the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
JJ Spaun celebrates after putting on the 18th green to win during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images / IMAGN)
Spaun has been on Tour since 2014 and has racked up $25,530,418 in prize money in his career. But amazingly, more than half of that (nearly $12.9 million) came in 2025 alone.
Aside from his U.S. Open win that earned him $4.3 million, he also had three runner-up finishes this year — he had one in his career entering 2025.
JJ Spaun celebrates with his caddie Mark Carens after putting on the 18th green to win the U.S. Open golf tournament. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images / IMAGN)
Spaun took home $818,800 after his second-place finish at the Cognizant Classic, and after the same results at TPC Sawgrass and the St. Jude Championship, he earned another $2.725 million and $2.16 million, respectively.
So, Spaun nearly doubled his career earnings from just four tournaments this year.
JJ Spaun kisses the championship trophy after winning the 125th U.S. Open golf tournament. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images / IMAGN)
Now, after more than a decade on tour, he will finally represent the United States on a grand stage. Recent history shows that odds are in Spaun's favor for another win, too, as the home team has won each of the last five Ryder Cups.