ESPN Golf: Spaun's Putter Switch Pays Off at Colonial with 8-Under Through 36 Holes

Defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun sits at 8-under par through 36 holes at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club, two shots off the pace as he builds momentum heading into the weekend.

A Putter Switch Changes Everything

Spaun's season had been inconsistent — six missed cuts in 13 events, including both majors — with his putting identified as the culprit. He swapped putters before this week, and the results are immediate. A front-nine surge featuring four birdies in Round 2 underlines the renewed confidence. "The weeks that I putt just slightly better than average, I contend," Spaun noted, summarizing his statistical reality with striking clarity.

Leaderboard at 36 Holes

PGA Tour rookie Jordan Smith leads at 10-under after back-to-back 65s, highlighted by 181 feet of putts made across two rounds. One back at 9-under sit 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Michael Thorbjornsen, both firing 65s. Spaun is joined at 8-under by Akshay Bhatia, Russell Henley, Brice Garnett, and Alex Smalley.

A.J. Ewart grabbed attention with a career-best 63, the day's low round. Colonial has produced 154 sub-par scores through two rounds — tying the all-time high set in 2010 — aided by soft conditions despite temperatures approaching 100°F on the heat index.

Mapping the Road to Shinnecock

Beyond this week, Spaun has his schedule dialed in for the U.S. Open defense. After the Memorial, he'll skip the Canadian Open to arrive at Shinnecock Hills fresh but not rusty — a calculated rest block that reflects the focus of a reigning major champion.

Strokeslab Perspective

Spaun's self-assessment maps almost perfectly onto a Strokes Gained framework: his SG: APP and SG: OTT have been solid all year, but SG: Putting variance has been the swing factor. When that stabilizes above average, he contends — exactly what we're seeing this week at Colonial.