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J.J. Spaun Proudly Represents His Parents' Filipino and Mexican Heritage
J.J. Spaun Proudly Represents His Parents' Filipino and Mexican Heritage originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
J.J. Spaun leans on his parents' Mexican and Filipino heritage as the golfer proudly represents his family's nationality on the PGA Tour. J.J.'s success on the PGA Tour could help open doors for others as the organization continues to aim to diversify the sport.
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As J.J. impresses at the U.S. Open, the golfers' parents, John and Dollie, paved the way for his success. J.J.'s dad, John Spaun, is happy his son gave up his original dream of being a skater.
As his passion for skating grew, J.J. getting hit by a car while skating likely pushed him back to golf. Thankfully, J.J. was not hurt, but his father was not a fan of the short skating stint.
J.J. Spaun tees off during the second round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. on June 13, Maxson / For The Beaver County Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
'Luckily, none of the wheels went over him, but he had this streak of oil all the way down his body,' John told NBC Golf's Brentley Romine back in March.
As for J.J.'s mom, Dollie was an avid golfer and helped in her son's development in the sport. Dollie even played golf while pregnant with J.J., and it appears to have helped. J.J.'s mom's family has both Filipino and Mexican roots.
"So my grandfather on my mom's side, he's from -- he's not from the Philippines, but his parents were," Spaun remarked at the Valero Texas Open during an April 3, 2022, interview. "But they moved to California and he was born there, but he spoke Ilocano, which is like a dialect of Tagalog.
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"It's from a very small island; I wish I remember what it was. My whole mom's side, they're all half Filipino and half Mexican, so that's what makes up my heritage. Sadly, he passed a few years ago, but he was -- he was kind of the main Filipino person in our family."
Related: J.J. Spaun's Clear Message on Wife Melody Spaun
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
