JJ Spaun rallies late to capture second career Valero Texas Open title

JJ Spaun produced fireworks late in the final round to capture his second career Valero Texas Open title at TPC San Antonio.

Spaun, 35, birdied the par-3 16th and then eagled the par-4 17th to vault to the top of the leaderboard for the first time all week. 

The reigning US Open champion crushed a drive on the penultimate hole to within 10 feet of the pin, and he then drained what proved to be a tournament-winning eagle putt. 

Spaun then got up and down from the back of the green on the par-5 18th for a clutch par save and round of 67. 

He finished the week at 17-under par, one shot clear of Robert MacIntyre, Michael Kim and Matt Wallace.

The leaders faced more than a round and half on Sunday as play was suspended due to inclement weather on Saturday. 

It therefore meant a gruelling last day for the players, once again playing through spells of wind and rain.

Spaun collected a cool $1.76m for landing his third PGA Tour title at the 2026 Valero Texas Open. 

Check out the full prize money payouts from the Texas Open. 

Spaun also won the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio by two shots in 2022. 

The American entered this week's tournament off the back of four missed cuts in six starts on the PGA Tour. 

"This game is so crazy," said Spaun. "I wasn't in the form I wanted to be in but just tried to take each day as it comes. I have a great team supporting me. It feels great to come back to a place that means a lot to me and get this win." 

Spaun added: "I put a lot of pressure on myself to start the year and had a lot of expectation, which was the complete opposite of the mantra last year so I just went back to that. I've tried to free myself up, put less pressure on myself, but sticking to that mantra has helped me."

MacIntyre led the tournament for much of the week, but a rollercoaster final-round 70, highlighted by an eagle-two on the par-4 17th, saw the Scot fall short of a third PGA Tour title. 

He needed to make birdie on the last to force a playoff, but was unable to do it. The Scot left himself a 35 footer for birdie but his attempt come up short and left of the hole. 

Wallace had set the clubhouse total much earlier in the round, but he would also fall one shot shy despite a brilliant 64-68 finish. Reigning Open de France champion Kim also finished in a tie for second, and he too was unable to make the required birdie down the last to force extra holes. 

Andrew Putnam was another who left Texas thinking what might have been after having three-putted for bogey on the par-3 16th when just one shot off the pace at the time. He would birdie the 17th but bogeyed the 18th to round out the top five on 15-under par. 

Ludvig Aberg was also in the mix but he was once again left to rue a lacklustre final round, just like at The Players Championship. The Swede once again found himself in contention heading into the final round, but a closing 70 saw him finish in a tie for fifth with Putnam. 

With Spaun winning the tournament, it prevented anyone from qualifying for next week's Masters Tournament via the Texas Open at the final hour since the American was already eligible. Only non-exempt players had a chance of receiving a last-minute invite with a victory.