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J.J. Spaun Is Proud of Family's Filipino Heritage During Rise on PGA Tour

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Adams | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 8:38 AM ET

J.J. Spaun's family has played a significant role in the golfer's rise on the PGA Tour. Spaun is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., and now lives in San Dimas, Calif.

The golfer had a standout college career for the San Diego State Aztecs. Spaun's parents, John and Dollie Spaun, recognized their son's passion for golf early. The golfer's real name is John Jr., a nod to his dad, John Spaun, but he simply goes by J.J.

Spaun describes his ethnicity and heritage as Filipino and Mexican.

"So my grandfather on my mom's side, he's from -- he's not from the Philippines, but his parents were," Spaun explained at the Valero Texas Open during an April 3, 2022, interview. "But 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; I wish I remember what it was. My whole mom's side, they're all half Filipino and half Mexican, so that's what makes up my heritage. Sadly, he passed a few years ago, but he was -- he was kind of the main Filipino person in our family."

54-hole leader @JJSpaun was born for this.

JJ’s mom Dollie was an avid golfer, playing golf until she was eight months pregnant (after her doctor approved.)

“People would always tell me that my son was going to be a golfer when he grew up." pic.twitter.com/8MA0QaYvCb
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 16, 2025

Spaun's mom, Dollie Spaun, saw her son's uncommon love for golf at a young age.

"He was born to play golf," Spaun's mother told USA Today's Brentley Romine during a Feb. 1, 2018, interview. "He used to watch TV as a little kid and he’d tell me, 'Mom, I don’t want to watch cartoons. I want to watch Golf Channel.'"

Heading into Sunday's final round, Spaun finds himself leading the field at The Players Championship. The golfer already has two top-10 finishes in 2025 and is poised to add a third.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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