After matching Rory McIlroy's score at The Players Championship on Sunday, JJ Spaun would, ultimately, come up short in his bid to win the biggest trophy of career in Florida.
Finishing at 12-under, the American would rue his tee shot at the par 3 17th at TPC Sawgrass, as he finished four shots back of McIlroy in the Monday playoff, with the four-time Major winner adding another Players Championship trophy to his mantle.
However, although Spaun came up short in his bid for the PGA Tour's flagship event, the former Valero Texas Open winner can take comfort in a number of other wins...
Prize Money
The Players Championship holds one of the largest tournament purses in professional golf and, with a runner-up finish, Spaun secured a large chunk of the $25 million purse.
Because of the fine display around TPC Sawgrass, the 34-year-old heads home with a $2.75 million paycheck in his pocket, which is comfortably the largest of Spaun's career.
FedEx Cup Points
Being the flagship event, there was more than money on offer, with ample FedEx Cup points on the table in Florida.
Finishing second, Spaun saw his position in the FedEx Cup standings jump up 10 spots as 500 FedEx Cup points meant he went from 15th to 5th.
Crucially, he's now on 1,059 points, which all but guarantees his card PGA Tour card for next season. What's more, the cut off for points for those who qualified for the Tour Championship in 2024 was around 1,600, meaning Spaun has thrown himself well into the fray.
Career-High Ranking
It wasn't just FedEx Cup points where Spaun saw a big leap as, thanks to his runner-up finish, he was able to claim plenty of points in terms of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Securing 48 points, Spaun saw his position jump from 57th to a career-high 25th, which puts him firmly inside the world's top 50. Interestingly, the runner-up finish was 10 points more than he received for his Valero Texas Open win.
Major Qualification
The reason why being inside the world's top 50 is so important is due to the qualifying status for Major championships.
By jumping into the 25th spot, Spaun has secured his spot at the first men's Major of the year, The Masters, with the American in good shape to also bag spots at the PGA Championship, US Open and The Open Championship.
Spaun will make his second appearance at The Masters, where he finished T23rd in 2022
Publicity
The final positive is the way that Spaun conducted himself throughout the Monday playoff and, indeed, the whole week.
Many players may have skipped media or wanted to be left alone after losing out in a playoff but, in terms of Spaun, he was happy to speak in a press conference afterward which many on social media praised.
Having finished runner-up with some fine golf, there's no doubt that many more viewers in the golf world became Spaun fans after his play.
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