J.J. Spaun hit four straight birdies on his front nine Friday, sparking a 4-under 66 that, at the time, put him alone atop a crowded BMW Championship leaderboard. The 2025 U.S. Open winner’s scorching play turned his 36th birthday into an absolute clinic at Bellerive Country Club, momentarily putting him in the driver’s seat at 10 under for the tournament.
Birthday Blowout on the Front Nine
This wasn’t just any birthday for Spaun, it was a full-on celebration fueled by pure adrenaline and some serious golf. The day kicked off early with his girls blowing up “Toy Story”-themed balloons, a fun little nod to a joke Dad made. That kind of good energy clearly carried onto the course because Spaun absolutely tore up the front nine, carding a 30 for that stretch. He wasn’t really thinking much, just feeling good mentally, and it showed. He nailed four consecutive birdies from holes No. 3 through 6 on Friday, even better than the three in a row he managed in his first round. With his putter cooperating and more quality shots flying, the birdies were piling up early and often.
Back-Nine Battle and a Shifting Top Spot
Things got a little bumpy for Spaun on the back nine, though, because that’s just golf sometimes. He admitted to hitting a “rough patch” with a poor three-putt on No. 14 and a poor second shot on No. 15, leading to back-to-back bogeys. But the man found redemption, getting a huge birdie on the par-4 18th. He crushed a “really good drive,” then hit a “nice little iron shot out of the bunker” to about five or six feet and drained it. That was huge, stopping the bleeding and keeping his round solid. Despite Spaun’s heroics, the leaderboard kept churning. While he finished 10 under, fellow U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark ripped off 36 holes of bogey-free golf to grab the solo 36-hole lead at 12 under heading into the weekend. Gary Woodland, who had a bogey-free 65 on Friday, is right behind at 11 under. Even with that, Spaun sits just two shots back. Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 2-ranked player, didn’t keep pace on Friday, finishing five shots off Clark’s lead after a 1-under 69. Chris Gotterup and Sungjae Im are both T-4, adding even more heat to this incredible event.
The weekend at Bellerive is set to be an absolute grinder. Spaun, even with Clark and Woodland ahead, is still right there. Can he recapture that front-nine magic and make his birthday week an unforgettable championship run? We’re all watching to see if he can keep those birdies flying.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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