JJ Spaun goes from breaking down Amazon boxes to co-leading Hero

NASSAU, Bahamas – Perhaps more than any other professional athlete, most of whom are often hidden behind helmets and masks and separated from fans by vast distances, golfers can easily be humanized. No one falls into that category of all people more easily than JJ Spaun.

This week’s Hero World Challenge marks Spaun’s first start in a month, only his second since the Ryder Cup, and he’s spent his spare time doing the most predictable of things.

“Hanging out with my family, being a good father, helping out around the house, getting things done around the house, this is the time to do that,” Spaun said of his offseason. “It was very cold.”

In the most relatable moment for anyone bracing for the holidays, Spaun explained what has mostly consumed his time away from the game: “Dude,” he smiled, “my biggest pet peeve is breaking Amazon boxes.”

Spaun said his main project was decorating his garage, complete with extra storage space and a new floor. “I felt so accomplished,” he laughed.

But if Thursday’s round in Albany is any indication, the time off wasn’t detrimental to his play. Spaun shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the lead on Day 1 at the Tiger Woods event. He is tied with world No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Akshay Bhatia, Sepp Straka and Wyndham Clark. Spaun’s Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Corey Conners are one shot back.

Spaun landed shots off the tee, on the approach and on the greens, which was a solid start for a player who admittedly didn’t know what to expect.

“That’s how I felt [rusty] Tuesday and Wednesday for sure. You know, I just tried not to read too much about mechanics or swing stuff. “I knew once the bell sounded, things would probably be fine,” he said. “Yes, today went a lot better than at the beginning of the week.”

Spaun said he took two weeks off after the Ryder Cup and hadn’t touched a club. It would have been understandable if he had spent even more time on the bench after the best year of his career.

Spaun won his first major at the US Open, lost a play-off to Rory McIlroy at The Players, played in his first Ryder Cup and finished in the top 30 of the season-ending points list for the first time in nine seasons on Tour. His first start at Woods’ limited-field invitation is a vivid reminder of how far he has come in the past 12 months.

“I think I was in England last year [during the Hero World Challenge]Spaun said. ‘After the Ryder Cup it was a very good time to relax. You know, I kind of enjoy what I’ve accomplished. It was good to just relax and think about everything I’ve done this year and really absorb it.