JJ Spaun secured a victory at the BMW PGA Championship, stating that he played with a "chip on his shoulder" after not being selected for the U.S. Presidents Cup team. The win came as the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall series commenced.
Spaun, who finished 10th on the Presidents Cup points list and won the Valero Texas Open in April, was one of the players overlooked by U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker. Snedeker opted for other players with his captain's picks, some of whom finished lower in the standings than Spaun. Despite a late-season slump and a withdrawal from the Tour Championship due to a shoulder injury, Spaun's performance at Wentworth, where he fired a final-round 67 to win by two shots, suggests Snedeker might reconsider his choices if the selected picks struggle in the upcoming Presidents Cup.
"I played with a huge chip on my shoulder; I definitely had something to prove this week," Spaun said after his victory. "Being left off the Presidents Cup team a couple of weeks ago was very disappointing and I wanted to prove that I deserved to be on that team and I took care of my business this week."
Meanwhile, Jacob Bridgeman continued his strong 2026 season by winning the Biltmore Championship, the first event of the FedEx Cup Fall series. Bridgeman, who finished 12th in the U.S. team standings and was selected by Snedeker, earned his second win of the year. The 26-year-old has been a consistent performer, with 12 Top 25 finishes in 24 starts this season. His recent form includes a ninth-place finish at the BMW Championship and a T-4 at the Tour Championship, leading into the Presidents Cup.
Bridgeman is currently ranked 20th in the world and leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting. His performance demonstrates his potential as a future staple for the U.S. team in international competitions. The Presidents Cup is scheduled to begin Thursday at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. The U.S. team is considered the favorite against the International side.