Golf: JJ Spaun wins rainy US Open for first major title

Al Jazeera

17 hours ago

JJ Spaun has won the US Open golf championship by two shots from Robert MacIntyre after draining an incredible 64-foot birdie putt that snaked across a sodden 18th green following a chaotic final round at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, United States.
'Just to finish it off like that is just a dream,' the Californian said after claiming his first major on Sunday.
'To have my own moment like that at this championship, I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life.'
Spaun needed only a par at the closing hole to avoid a Monday playoff but went one better, sinking the huge putt in the rain to win the year's third major and erase the disappointment from his close call at The Players Championship in March.
When the clinching putt dropped, Spaun tossed his putter, delivered a fist pump, hugged his caddie and then walked off the green with his two young daughters in tow on Father's Day to celebrate a career-defining win.
'It was so cool to just have my whole family there on Father's Day,' Spaun said. 'It's just incredible. I have no words to describe the moment and them being able to see me as the winner.'
Spaun reached the drivable par-four 17th hole level with Scotland's MacIntyre, who was already in the clubhouse after a two-under 68, and delivered the shot of his life – a 309-yard strike that settled 17 feet from the cup.
The 34-year-old American sent his eagle putt past the hole but made the comebacker, and then went on to secure the win in style at the 18th, where he said he did not look at the scoreboard so as not to alter his plan.
'I knew based off of, like, what the crowd was saying that I felt like if I two-putted I would probably win, but I didn't want to look,' said Spaun. 'I didn't want to do anything dumb trying to protect a three-putt or something.'
The final round was interrupted by a 96-minute weather delay after heavy rains forced puddles of water to form on the greens and fairways and forced the grounds crew at Oakmont to use squeegees to get the course ready.
The triumph comes three months after Spaun lost in a playoff to world number two Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship, a defeat which was hard to take but left him knowing he could mix it with the game's elite.
Viktor Hovland (73) finished three shots back in third place, while Cameron Young (70) and LIV Golf players Tyrrell Hatton (72) and Carlos Ortiz (73) finished a further shot back in a share of fourth place.
Sam Burns (78), who took a one-shot lead over Spaun and Adam Scott into the final round, struggled late in his round and finished five shots back.
Twice major champion Jon Rahm, who began the day 11 shots back, closed with a three-under 67 that was the day's joint low round, with the Spaniard finishing five shots back in a share of seventh with world number one Scottie Scheffler (70) and Burns.
World number two Rory McIlroy also saved his best for last and carded a 67 to reach seven over.
McIlroy, who had been struggling to find form since completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters, is looking forward to some downtime before the British Open being held next month at Royal Portrush in his home country of Northern Ireland.
'I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven't been there the last few weeks,' McIlroy said.
'But as I said, getting home and having a couple of weeks off before that, hopefully feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, will get me in the right place again.'