PGA Tour: J.J. Spaun triumphs in Texas just before the Masters

After a month-long dry spell, the US Open champion makes an impressive comeback. In a dramatic final of the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour, J.J. Spaun defied the weather and the competition. While the favorites faltered in the end, a spectacular Eagle on the 17th paved the way to his third career victory.

SAN ANTONIO - It was a Sunday of extremes on the PGA Tour. Between overnight hotel evacuations due to false alarms, heavy rainfall and a drop in temperature of almost 30 degrees, one player held his nerve who hardly anyone had expected after the first two rounds: J.J. Spaun. With a brilliant round of 67 (-5) on the final day, the 35-year-old secured his second title at the TPC San Antonio and sent a message to Augusta National.

Here you can find the complete final result of the Valero Texas Open 2026.

The Birdie-Eagle finish: the turning point on the PGA Tour

For a long time, it looked as if Scotland's Robert MacIntyre would control the field. But while the leaders began to falter in the cold Texan wind, Spaun started a furious chase to catch up on the back nine. After Birdies on the 10th, 14th and 16th, he made the decisive pinprick on the risky Par-4 17th. He attacked the green directly with his Driver and holed the subsequent three-meter Putt for an Eagle.

With a total score of 17 under par, Spaun set the mark in the clubhouse that none of the remaining players on the PGA Tour could beat.

Drama at the final hole: MacIntyre fails in the mud

The tournament ended particularly bitterly for Robert MacIntyre. The Scot, who had led the field for long stretches, countered Spaun's Eagle on the 17th in spectacular fashion, but needed a Birdie on the 18th to make the playoff. After hitting a completely off-center shot into the wet ground to the left of the Fairway, all he could do was limit the damage.

According to reports from Golfweek, MacIntyre compared the final hole of the Oaks Course designed by Greg Norman with the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai: "Pure chaos," was his summary after the missed 9-meter putt for the shared lead. He shares second place with England's Matt Wallace and Michael Kim, who also finished on 16 under Par.

The return of the "mantra" after a difficult phase

For Spaun, this success on the PGA Tour is not just a cheque for 1.76 million US dollars. After his US Open victory in 2025, the Californian had fallen into a deep hole. In the current 2026 season, he missed the cut four times in seven starts and struggled with his putting stats.

Spaun gave media representatives in San Antonio an insight into his inner life: "I put a lot of pressure and high expectations on myself at the start of the year," admitted Spaun. "That was the complete opposite of my mantra from last year. Since Players, I've been trying to play more relaxed again and accept what my game gives me on the day." This focus on mental composure paid off. Despite 26 holes to complete on Sunday - a consequence of the massive weather delays on Saturday - Spaun proved to have the greatest stamina.

With momentum to the first major of the year

The victory sees Spaun climb a whopping 91 places to 24th in the FedExCup, but the psychological advantage is probably much more important: While stars such as Ludvig Åberg (T5) and Andrew Putter played solidly but missed the crucial putts, Spaun travels to the Masters as a newly crowned champion.

When the PGA Tour's elite tee off in Augusta on April 9, J.J. Spaun will be among the favorites not only because of his Major status, but also because of his regained form. In San Antonio, he proved that he is capable of beating a world-class field even without his "A-game" - as he says himself.

The highlights of the PGA Tour in the video