Presidents Cup Omission Still Stings Spaun After BMW PGA Victory
The short version
- Spaun won the BMW PGA Championship by two shots at Wentworth, birdieing four of his final five holes.
- He was the highest-ranked American left off the U.S. Presidents Cup team for Medinah.
- Snedeker's captain's picks included Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman.
- Spaun said he received no explanation for the omission and was told in a roughly 45-second call.
- The Presidents Cup opens Thursday with four-ball matches; the U.S. has won the last 10 editions.
J.J. Spaun, the top-ranked American excluded from the U.S. Presidents Cup roster, answered the snub by winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Days after learning he would not represent the United States at the Presidents Cup, J.J. Spaun answered in the strongest way available to him: a two-shot victory at the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour at Wentworth Club. The American birdied four of his closing five holes on Sunday to pull clear of the field.
Spaun said afterward that he had carried extra motivation into the week. "I played with a huge chip on my shoulder," he told reporters, adding that he felt he "definitely had something to prove" while noting that "everything happens for a reason."
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker filled out his six captain's selections without Spaun, making him the highest-ranked American excluded from the squad competing at Medinah Country Club in Chicago. The picks included rookie Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman, who had just captured the Biltimore Championship. Spaun revealed he was never told why he was passed over, saying the notification lasted barely 45 seconds and that earlier conversations with Snedeker had given him reason to believe he was on the team.
Addressing the decision at Medinah, Snedeker called himself a "huge J.J. Spaun fan" and explained that he trusted his instincts when finalizing the roster. He said he told the players who missed out that their job was to make him "look like an idiot as quick as possible," and predicted Spaun would be part of the Ryder Cup side in Ireland.
The Wentworth triumph moved Spaun to No. 12 in the Official World Golf Ranking. It is his third career PGA Tour-era highlight alongside wins at last season's Valero Texas Open and the 2025 U.S. Open. The Presidents Cup begins Thursday with four-ball play, with the Americans riding a streak of 10 consecutive victories in the event, though Spaun will be watching from home with his next chance at national team duty a year away.
Written by the Matchday Live desk from reporting by Yahoo Sports.
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