Spaun: 'Things have settled down' after U.S. Open
J.J. Spaun discusses what his life has been like after winning the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, if he is feeling added pressure after his thrilling victory, how much he has grown over the past year and more.
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USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Here's what Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth say about new PGA Tour CEO
Here's what Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth say about new PGA Tour CEO The 72 players in the field at this week's Travelers Championship met with Brian Rolapp, the new PGA Tour CEO, on Tuesday at a mandatory player meeting at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. (Apparently, winning the U.S. Open earned an excused absence as J.J. Spaun was off in New York City doing his post-victory tour.) Not surprisingly, just about every one of the six players that met with the media on Wednesday were asked about meeting the new big man on campus who will soon be calling the shots at the Global Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Also not surprising: all the comments were glowing with the cameras rolling but here's what the pros had to say about their new, fearless leader. 'I spoke with him yesterday. His resume is incredible. He seems like a really smart guy,' said U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley. 'I just think the PGA Tour is in such a great spot. A handful of years ago when all this started, I didn't know what was going to happen. I was nervous. I didn't know how this was all going to end up, but now years later, I'm really confident in where the PGA Tour is and where it's going. I'm proud to play on this Tour.' He added: 'It's never been better than it has been right now. That was a worry, and now I'm even more excited about the future. It's going to be great.' More: 2025 Travelers Championship offers a relaxed birdie-fest after the U.S. Open grind What Jordan Spieth said Three-time major winner and past Travelers champion Jordan Spieth also came away encouraged from his initial interaction with Rolapp. Spieth served on the Tour board during a tumultuous time up until this year and brings an interesting perspective on how the Tour operates. 'I really, really liked him. I think he seems like a steal from the most successful sports organization in the world and someone who is on the path to becoming potentially commissioner over there to coming over and taking the PGA Tour forward,' he said. 'I think he resonated a lot with some of the players about challenging some of the networks on how they're showing the product. Then being open and willing to adapt and change while maintaining the integrity of the game. 'I think he said all the right things. From other players to other people that are sponsors that have reached out to me since have all been super excited about that hire and that we're very lucky to have him.' What Rory McIlroy said Rory McIlroy is another former board member and served as an unofficial spokesman for the Tour during the heat of the battle with LIV. He took a lot of bullets for the Tour but has since taken a backseat in his role. 'I haven't met Brian yet, but obviously I followed quite a bit of the news and the coverage yesterday. He certainly said all the right things and has an amazing background, two decades in the NFL, helping them expand internationally and basically become the behemoth that they have become,' McIlroy said. 'So for him to bring that experience to the PGA Tour, I think will be amazing, and I think it's great that Jay is there to help with the smooth transition also. Yeah, I think it's a really positive thing for the Tour.' What Scottie Scheffler said World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also weighed in but he, too, didn't get a chance to meet and greet the new guy. 'I think it's exciting to have some new leadership. I think Brian will bring some good energy. Literally, the first time I heard him speak was yesterday, so I really don't know much about him. I liked what I heard yesterday,' Scheffler said. 'I think our board and Jay and everybody put a lot of research into finding his successor, and to be able to get somebody from the NFL, especially somebody high up at the NFL, I think is pretty cool. The NFL is obviously a very successful organization. He's got a lot of experience and some new thought processes he can bring to the Tour, and I think it's exciting.' Rolapp paid a visit to HQ on Wednesday and met with PGA Tour staff. He will continue his 'Town Hall meeting' tour next Tuesday with another mandatory player meeting being held in Detroit at the Rocket Classic, which is a full-field event and a chance for those not eligible for this week's Travelers to hear from and introduce themselves to the Tour's first CEO.
Fox Sports
5 hours ago
- Fox Sports
US Open champion JJ Spaun tries to clear his head and get back to work at Travelers
Associated Press CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — This isn't the first time J.J. Spaun has come to the Travelers Championship after a life-changing moment. Two years ago, his daughter Violet was born on a Monday and he didn't show up to the TPC River Highlands until the night before the opening round. He might be even more wiped now. That's what winning a U.S. Open can do. 'Violet's birthday is Thursday,' Spaun said while reminiscing. But then he stopped and his eyes widened slightly. 'Tomorrow. I don't even know what day it is.' It's been quite the whirlwind, and the U.S. Open champion wouldn't trade it. The Los Angeles Dodgers — the team script is on his yardage book — are trying to arrange for him to throw out the first pitch. Shortstop Mookie Betts, who played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with Spaun a few years back, congratulated him. Text messages came in from U.S. Open champions Curtis Strange and Hale Irwin. Spaun slept three hours early Monday before it was off to New York, where he had a full day of media on Tuesday and then was driven to the TPC River Highlands. He slept eight hours, about as much as the previous two nights combined. 'It's been pretty hectic but also very fun,' Spaun said Wednesday. 'It's been nice to be given the opportunity to express my feelings, my emotions. A lot of people want to hear from me. I was really grateful to have the opportunity to tell everyone about it. So I enjoyed it.' And now it's back to work, which should be a fun time for the 72-man field, at least those who had to slog through 5 1/2-inch rough soaked by rain at Oakmont for a grueling week. The Travelers Championship, the last of the $20 million signature events, is a happier occasion where the scoring is easier, even though the TPC River Highlands can still punish bad shots. The rough is still plenty thick, just not quite as dense as it was at Oakmont. And players are not hitting into putting surfaces where the golf ball never seems to stop rolling. Still, it's a welcome relief. 'It's more just kind of getting back into the swing of things of, 'All right, actually I have a 7-iron in my hand, but I don't have to be quite as careful,' I guess," Jordan Spieth said. "It's no gimme golf course, especially if we're going to see windy conditions. 'The short answer is, yeah, it's kind of nice,' he said. 'It would be hard to play something like that (Oakmont) every single week. But at the same time, you get a lot of risk-reward on the back nine here, which can yield 3-, 4-, 5 under rounds, but you can also get in big-time trouble.' For Spaun, it's moving forward just four days after his dynamic finish. He was in a five-way tie for the lead on the back nine and pulled ahead with a driver onto the 17th green for a two-putt birdie and a 65-foot birdie putt for a magical finish in his two-shot victory. 'I definitely need to keep the hunger there,' Spaun said. "I think I will have the hunger just because I want to continue to prove myself, but not prove myself to anybody other than myself. I feel like my biggest barrier throughout my entire career is just trying not to be so hard on myself and not ruining any sort of confidence that I've built from all these experiences on my journey as a golfer. 'As long as I keep that up, I think I'll continue to play well,' he said. 'And obviously winning the U.S. Open is going to be a huge boost to that inner ego, I guess you could say, to keep that self-belief alive and burning.' Scottie Scheffler had no trouble last year when he went from winning the Masters to winning the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town. Rory McIlroy won the British Open in 2014, had two weeks off and then won a World Golf Championship at Firestone and a PGA Championship in consecutive weeks. 'I think after winning a major championship, like the first time you come back out to the course is a bit of a circus sometimes just with all the people,' Scheffler said. "J.J. just achieved a lifetime goal and dream of his. It's definitely different coming to the golf course, for sure. There's a lot more people, a lot more stuff to sign, a lot of stuff that goes on. 'It's all good things. It's all stuff that's fun.' Keegan Bradley won his first major in 2011 as a PGA Tour rookie, had a week off and then missed the cut in his next two tournaments. 'I remember coming home and going out to dinner with my friends and walking into the restaurant. I could feel that people knew who I was. I had never felt that,' Bradley said. 'The thing I told J.J. was I hope he really enjoys this.' ___ AP golf: recommended
Fox Sports
6 hours ago
- Fox Sports
2025 Travelers Championship Odds: Scottie Scheffler Clear Favorite
The 2025 Travelers Championship tees off on Thursday, June 19 and there's a clear favorite leading the field. Scottie Scheffler is first on the board at +300, and the second-closest golfer is Rory McIlroy at a somewhat distant +1200. So who will win the purse this weekend at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut? Let's take a look at the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 18. Travelers Championship 2025 (Win Only) Scottie Scheffler: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total) Rory McIlroy: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total) Xander Schauffele: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total) Collin Morikawa: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total) Patrick Cantlay: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total) Ludvig Aberg: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Justin Thomas: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total) Viktor Hovland: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total) Sepp Straka: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total) Tommy Fleetwood: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total) Robert MacIntyre: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Sam Burns: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Keegan Bradley: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Russell Henley: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total) Shane Lowry: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Cameron Young: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Daniel Berger: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Jordan Spieth: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total) J.J. Spaun: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total) Ben Griffin: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total) Maverick McNealy: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total) Aaron Rai: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total) Hideki Matsuyama: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Si Woo Kim: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Scottie Scheffler at +300 is atop of the oddsboard to win it all. Not only is he the favorite, but Scheffler comes into the weekend as the defending Travelers champion. In 2024, he captured the win after a thrilling one-hole playoff against Tom Kim. Second on the board is Rory McIlroy at +1200. McIlroy's year started off on a high note with his dramatic win at the Masters, but in two of his last three starts, he's finished T-47 or worse. Rounding out the top three is Xander Schauffele at +1600. The two-time major champion comes into this weekend after shooting a final score of +6 and tying for 12th in the U.S. Open. Further down the board is long shot Hideki Matsuyama at +6000. He comes into Travelers Championship weekend on the heels of a 42nd-place finish at Oakmont. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from PGA Tour Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
