J.J. Spaun Faces Heartbreak At THE PLAYERS Championship

When J.J. Spaun stepped onto the 17th tee at TPC Sawgrass during yesterday’s THE PLAYERS Championship playoff against world #2 Rory McIlroy, he stood just one shot off the lead with a realistic chance at capturing one of golf’s most prestigious titles. What happened next was the stuff of nightmares for any golfer—his tee shot found the water over the green, followed by a poor shot from the drop zone and then a three-putt. When all was said and done, Spaun walked to the 18th at 3-over par through two holes in the three-hole aggregate playoff, three shots behind Rory, with only a hole to play. His championship hopes drowned alongside his Srixon ball behind the 17th green.

In an instant, Spaun joined the fraternity of players who have experienced golf’s cruelest moments on its biggest stages. But what separates the legends from the forgotten is not whether they face heartbreak – it’s how they respond to it. Golf, more than any other sport, tests your resilience. It’s a game that promises nothing but guarantees suffering. Even the greatest players who’ve ever lived have tasted bitter defeat before their sweetest victories.

Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear himself, suffered devastating losses throughout his career. Remember the 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach? Nicklaus, in prime position to win, hit a 1-iron on the 17th that struck the flagstick and bounced away, leading to a bogey that ultimately cost him the championship. Yet just weeks later, he captured the Open Championship at Muirfield, showing the mental fortitude that defined his career.

Tiger Woods, whose career has been defined by comebacks, faced perhaps his greatest professional heartbreak at the 2006 U.S. Open when he missed the cut shortly after his father’s passing. The emotion was raw, the pain evident. Yet just a month later, he channeled that emotion into a masterful performance at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, controlling his game with surgical precision while tears streamed down his face as he embraced his caddie after the final putt dropped. Even today’s dominant force, Scottie Scheffler, has faced his share of disappointment. After his collapse in the final round of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, many wondered how the young star would respond. His answer came in the form of a dominant 2024 season, including a masterful defense of his Masters title and multiple victories that cemented his position as the world’s best player.

So how can you, whether you’re fighting for a club championship or just trying to break 90, develop the resilience to bounce back from golf’s inevitable heartbreaks? Here are five practical approaches to mastering the art of the comeback:

Embrace the Pain, Then Release It
The worst thing you can do after a crushing disappointment is pretend it doesn’t hurt. Feel the sting of defeat fully – acknowledge your disappointment, frustration, and even anger. Give yourself permission to experience these emotions, but set a time limit. Maybe it’s 24 hours, maybe it’s until you reach the parking lot. Whatever your timeframe, when it expires, let it go completely. The past shot cannot be changed, but your next one is entirely within your control.

Find the Lesson, Not the Excuse
Every collapse, every disappointment, contains valuable information if you’re willing to look for it. Instead of blaming bad luck, course conditions, or outside factors, ask yourself: “What can I learn from this?” Perhaps it reveals a weakness in your mental game under pressure, a technical flaw that emerges only in crucial moments, or a strategic blind spot. The greatest champions don’t just experience failure – they extract wisdom from it. Your heartbreak is only truly wasted if you fail to grow from it.

Rebuild Through Routine
After a significant disappointment, there’s a temptation to make dramatic changes to your game. Resist this urge. Instead, return to the fundamentals and routines that brought you success in the first place. Tiger Woods has famously spent hours after disappointing rounds working on basic mechanics. Your pre-shot routine, practice schedule, and preparation rituals provide stability when your confidence wavers. Trust the process that got you to the point where heartbreak was possible in the first place – you were doing something right to be in contention.

Reframe Your Narrative
The story you tell yourself about your golfing disappointments shapes your future performance. Instead of “I always choke under pressure,” try, “I put myself in a position to win, and next time, I’ll be better prepared for that opportunity.” Champions don’t define themselves by their failures but by their responses to them. Jack Nicklaus never saw himself as someone who lost 19 major championships – he saw himself as someone who won 18 and gave himself chances in countless others.

Seek the Next Opportunity
The surest antidote to dwelling on past disappointment is creating new opportunities for success. After his collapse at THE PLAYERS, Spaun’s best move isn’t to hide – it’s to get back into contention as quickly as possible. Each new tournament, each new round, even each new hole represents a fresh start. Golf’s greatest blessing is that it constantly offers chances for redemption. The next opportunity to prove your resilience is always just days away.

Remember, in golf, as in life, resilience isn’t about avoiding heartbreak – it’s about refusing to let heartbreak define you. The next time disappointment finds you on the course, know that you stand in the company of legends who have walked the same difficult path. They stumbled, they hurt, they questioned themselves – and then they rose again, often to heights greater than before. Your greatest round may be waiting just beyond your most painful defeat. All you need is the courage to keep playing.

Reader, please support me by checking out my three weekly columns on RG. On Mondays, I present “The Starter,” which recaps the week gone by in golf. On Thursdays, I give you “Fairway Focus,” which previews the week to come in golf. And on Saturdays, I dish up the “Weekend Fore-cast,” a look at what’s on tap for the upcoming weekend. Editor’s note: Tuesday Tips will be an ongoing series in which Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tuesday Tips!