JJ Spon has continued its weather of new experiences and new expectations at the Genesis Scottish Open this week.
He enters the event as the first chief winner for the first time after winning the US Open at the Omont Country Club last month. And he enters the link courses as a relative fraud, it is played only once in the tournament, finishing T59 in 2022, and preparing his first go-round in the open championship at the age of 34 years.
The Open will be played on 17-20 July at the Royal Portrash at County Antream, Northern Ireland.
“2022 was a great first experience, anytime, not only in Scotland, but generally in the UK,” he said at the Renaissance Club in North Bervik, Scotland on Wednesday.
“What is a different style of golf got a taste. More link style included. So it was very funny and I played well. This is how I gave it my first run. So I am happy to come back.”
He said that he has played link courses in the United States, “probably not as appropriate as it is here.” And this is a big adjustment, finding out how to tailor your game under circumstances.
“This is a thick wind,” he said. “… as far as he goes and is moving your trajectory down, and I think the other thing is dialing with your spin rates because obviously the one who plays a very big role in the air and how far it is going to take it in the air.”
And expectations as a prominent champion are also new.
“Yes, there are some expectations, and I am going to try to dumb it down and simply try to play golf, as simple and clich,” said the native of California. “But I know something will be expected. I am just going out of there and will stick to my game and try to execute. I can do all this.”
The US Open win was the second for the spown in its PGA Tour career. This was just the second time he played in the tournament, in 2021, Torre missed the cut for the first time in Pines.
And when he is the legend of a tour, he said that life on the tour is different as a grand slam winner.
He said, “This is a full 180. I have now been out of eight, nine years, and you see the same people, but you make a little change in the tone or I feel more like respect,” he said. “You know, you earn some respect here, especially with the top people. They are a bit more attached to you. It’s not that they are different with other players, but you think you are at a different level, winning a major.
“It is nice to earn that honor from my colleagues, and obviously the greatest players who are accepting me and I feel that I feel that I am feeling so big for confidence and is very big for self-confidence. And it is a long way to go a long way, whether it is every time the US Open.”
Spon has played this season with five top -10 finish in 18 tournaments, including the players. Sometimes when he is in a reflective mood, he thinks about his unprecedented success in this season, a year in which he has about half of his career PGA Tour’s earnings in a year in which he won.
“It’s great to think how far I have come, and how much I have achieved this season,” he said. “This is the kind of climb for a more elite level that I never thought I would probably reach there; finally, hopefully, I will do one of these days, but to do it in the end, it’s so crazy.”
-Bield level media
