J.J. Spaun uses Presidents Cup snub as motivation in BMW PGA Championship victory

J.J. Spaun silenced U.S. Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker's snub by claiming victory at the BMW PGA Championship in Surrey, England. Less than three weeks after being omitted from the Presidents Cup team, Spaun posted a five-under 67, leading the tournament by two strokes over Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott. The final round saw Spaun birdie four of his last five holes, lifting him to the title.

Spaun admitted that the Presidents Cup snub had fueled his aggressive play, stating, "I played with a huge chip on my shoulder." Snedeker's six captain's picks for the team included Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and the rookies Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman and Jackson Koivun. Spaun did not send a message to Snedeker following his win, but rather let his performance on the course speak for itself.

"Being left off the Presidents Cup team a couple weeks ago was very disappointing, and you know, I wanted to prove that I deserve to be on that team," Spaun admitted. The 2026 Presidents Cup will be held at Medinah Country Club's Course No. 3 in Chicago, where the U.S. team has a perfect record of 13-1-1 in the biennial Ryder Cup-style competition, with the only loss to date coming at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia in 1998.