Spaun wins BMW PGA Championship weeks after Presidents Cup omission

Left off the U.S. team by captain Brandt Snedeker, J.J. Spaun answered by winning at Wentworth and rising to No. 12 in the world.

U.S. Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker used none of his six captain's picks on J.J. Spaun, despite Spaun's 2025 season that included a U.S. Open title at Oakmont and a Texas Open victory. Spaun said he was surprised and disappointed by the decision and described himself as the odd man out after a brief phone call from Snedeker following the Tour Championship, which Spaun withdrew from with a sore shoulder.

Spaun responded by winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, closing with birdies on four of his last five holes. He became only the third American to win the European tour's flagship event, joining Billy Horschel and Arnold Palmer, and the win lifted him to No. 12 in the world ranking.

Speaking at Medinah, Snedeker said he followed his instincts on his selections and also passed over Ryan Gerard, Akshay Bhatia and assistant captain Gary Woodland. He said he told the players who missed the team to make him regret the decision quickly, and that he would be shocked if Spaun is not on the U.S. Ryder Cup squad in Ireland.

Spaun's win also settled a family wager. His wife proposed that a tournament win earn the couple a cottage in the Cotswolds, a region the Californian and his wife first visited together three years ago. Spaun countered that it should take a major, and his U.S. Open victory two months later triggered the deal. He said they have reached a compromise and do not yet own a cottage.