J.J. Spaun (John Michael Spaun Jr.) has been a professional golfer since 2012, even though he just won his first major championship. Winning the 2025 U.S. Open Championship, the American has sparked renewed interest in his career and personal life among the golfing fandom. Apart from the 2025 U.S. Open, Spaun’s career has seen other high moments, but that’s a tale for another day. Let’s discuss his family background.
Exploring J.J. Spaun’s Nationality and Ethnicity
The 2025 U.S. Open winner is an American citizen. J.J. Spaun was born on August 21, 1990, in Los Angeles, California. He has spent most of his life in San Dimas, a city situated in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles, California. There, he attended San Dimas High School, and then proceeded to San Diego State University for his college education.
@thescore A Father’s Day that J.J. Spaun will never forget. [via @PGATOUR]
J.J. Spaun is of mixed ethnic background. From his mother’s side, he’s half Filipino and half Mexican. The golfer confirmed this in a 2022 interview with the Valero Texas Open while answering a question about his family heritage. He told the publication that his maternal great-grandparents were originally from the Philippines.
“So my grandfather on my mom’s side, he’s from … he’s not from the Philippines, but his parents were,” Spaun disclosed. “They moved to California, and he was born there, but he spoke Ilocano, which is like a dialect of Tagalog. It’s from a very small island… My whole mom’s side, they’re all half Filipino and half Mexican, so that’s what makes up my heritage,” the golfer affirmed.
He’s also of European heritage, as his father, John Michael Spaun Sr, is a white American.
How J.J. Spaun’s Parents Contributed To His Success
The American golfer has come a long way since he was three. This was when he began playing golf, targeting the balls at a net his dad made for him in their garage. During Father’s Day in 2018, J.J. Spaun shared a video from his early years, thanking his father for his support and belief in him. “Thanks Dad for encouraging me to be whatever I wanted to be. And thank you for believing in me and supporting me the whole way! Love you, Happy Father’s Day!” He wrote.
Meanwhile, without the influence of his mother, Dollie Spaun, J.J. Spaun may not have become a professional golfer. Dollie loved golfing so much that she got permission from her doctor to continue golfing while she was pregnant with him. She continued doing so until she was eight months gone and was often told she would give birth to a golfer.
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