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Before becoming a major champion, 2025 U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun spent his college years working in the locker room at Torrey Pines. During his time as a student-athlete at San Diego State, Spaun was tasked with cleaning the muddy golf shoes of professional players, including Harris English—a man who had defeated him in a high-stakes amateur match just months earlier.
A Humbling Locker Room Encounter
The shoe-cleaning job served as a fundraiser for the San Diego State men’s golf team, which worked the Farmers Insurance Open annually to support their program. Spaun, who initially walked onto the team without a scholarship, recalled a rainy day when English entered the room with mud-caked white shoes. According to a report by Yardbarker, English simply addressed the student by name, and Spaun responded, “Yeah, man. Here, I’ll take your shoes. Give me your shoes.”
The dynamic between the two was rooted in their previous meeting at the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links at Bandon Dunes. In that quarterfinal match, the 20-year-old Spaun faced English, a recent Georgia graduate and Walker Cup contender. The match carried significant weight, as the winner would earn an invitation to the Masters. Spaun’s momentum shifted on the 17th hole when he received a two-stroke penalty for marking his ball incorrectly, turning a potential eagle into a par and ultimately costing him the match.
Financial Frustrations and Career Paths
While English was a generous tipper, Spaun and his teammates never saw the money. Team rules dictated that all tips collected in the locker room had to be funneled directly into the school’s golf program. Spaun expressed frustration at the time, noting the long, 30-minute commute to the course without any personal financial gain. “Yes, Harris took care of us, but we didn’t get to count the tips. I was like, ‘Come on, man. I need some gas. It’s a 30-minute drive each way.’ But apparently, the money went to the program,” Spaun explained, adding that current Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules would likely allow student-athletes to keep such earnings today.
As Spaun progressed through his collegiate career, the experience of serving players he had previously competed against became increasingly difficult. “By the time you’re a senior, you’re like, there’s all these freakin* guys that like I was just beaten up on like last year that are on tour now, and I’m shining the freakin* shoes. So, yeah, it kind of like wore off, you know, the beauty of it,” Spaun said.
From Locker Room to Major Champion
Both golfers have since established successful professional careers. English went on to secure five PGA Tour victories and a spot on the 2021 Ryder Cup team. Spaun, meanwhile, reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning the 2025 U.S. Open.
Spaun shared the anecdote during an appearance on the We Need a Fourth podcast. When asked if he had ever performed a poor job cleaning a specific golfer’s shoes, he jokingly identified English as the target. The two have since laughed about the irony of their shared history, which serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of professional golf and the long, often circular paths players take to reach the sport’s highest level.
