BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 20, 2026

J.J. Spaun

Bellerive Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Opening round 64. Great start. What did you like about your round today?

J.J. SPAUN: I putted really nice. Put the old faithful back in, my old LAB putter. So it was on timeout for about two months and, you know, kind of like kids, like, you know, when they're not behaving, you put them in timeout for a little bit and then they start listening better and cooperating. So I think it learned its lesson being in timeout.

Q. Switched it Sunday after Memphis?

J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, Sunday after Memphis was, I had, you know, needed a little bit of change. I think the things that I worked on on my stroke really helps with the technology of the LAB. So I think my stroke's in a better place. I think that's kind of what happened to me last year, so proved today that I was rolling it nice.

Q. Is there a last straw in making that change?

J.J. SPAUN: When I was just feeling very uncomfortable over 3-footers you know that's not ideal. But I just went back to kind of like my old practice structure and hitting more close range putts. I kind of got wrapped up into other things, aspects of my putting. So I put in a lot more work on short range distances last few days.

Q. How many putters have you changed since you made that putt at Oakmont?

J.J. SPAUN: I've been through two. I went to like an OZ, the OZHS OZ1 or something, and that's the LAB heel-shafted one. And then after that then I went to a completely different brand and had a putter with toe swing. So kind of, you know, if you want to feel some toe swing, LAB doesn't really make those, so I had to go to a completely different brand. But yeah, it was nice to, you know, just -- I had a really good honeymoon phase with the toe-swing putter and gained a lot of strokes at Travelers and wherever, Scotland and stuff, so I putted well there. But it was nice to feel some comfort and confidence in my old putter today.

Q. Is it the exact putter?

J.J. SPAUN: It's the same one. Same one that I used at Oakmont last year. All of last year and most of the year this year.

Q. Can you explain a day like Thursday when there's 30 guys at 6-under, seems like it anyway.

J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I wasn't sure how the course was going to play. Like for me it seems pretty long. If you look at the top six guys like aside from me, I think, what is it, Gary, Rory, Chris, like those guys hit it really far. I think that's a big advantage here. Obviously straight is good too, but some of these par-4s are really long and the par-5s are really long as well.

Q. Was there a putt you made that you felt like you were in a good groove with it?

J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, the second hole I made like a nice 30-footer down the hill. I'm reading the greens really well here as well. I'm just kind of seeing my line, I lineup the ball to where I want to start it and, you know, stroke it and hit it down the line, hopefully the speed's right and it will scare the hole at least maybe.