Spaun writes his Oakmont fairytale as magical putt seals wet and wild US Open

Irish Examiner

8 hours ago

A week that began with JJ Spaun diving into how his Sawgrass showdown with Rory McIlroy had elevated his game ended with the unheralded American joining the Irishman in the 2025 major winners' circle.
But so much happened in between Spaun's early Thursday 66 and his closing act which clinched an utterly enthralling US Open. Scratch that. So much happened between Spaun's Sunday front nine and his remarkable back nine. Ultimately when the years roll by and whatever comes next comes, one happening will last forever in the memory banks.
Needing a par on a soaked-right-through 18th hole to clinch a major win which may go down as one of the least likely in a decade or more, Spaun stepped over a 64-footer for birdie knowing two putts would be enough to change his life forever. He needed just one.
J.J. Spaun 🥶
What a way to win the U.S. Open! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Oh99HGBnCO — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 16, 2025
Having been given a good guide of both line and speed by playing partner Viktor Hovland, Spaun sent a scintillating snaking putt off to meet its moment on the last of the 18 bewitching greens which had bewildered so many of the game's best all week. As the ball got about two thirds of the way along its journey it started to turn and roll and turn again. Its destination became clear: immortality.
Spaun was the last man standing after a gruelling week of golf. Of the 156 players who'd pitched up to the hallowed turf in Pittsburgh, he was the only one to finish under par, just one of many wild statistics which will be pored over in the days, weeks and months to come.
The 34-year-old, who'd begun the year ranked 115th in the world and had just a solitary PGA Tour victory to his name, has been having a career year. He forced McIlroy all the way to a Monday playoff at the Players in March and took inspiration away from Sawgrass.
But when he started his Sunday tilt at glory in Oakmont it went awry in a hurry. He bogeyed five of his first six for a front-nine tally of 40. The golfing gods didn't look to be on his side. But the weather gods may have been. After a much-delayed afternoon, relentless rains inundating the course, Spaun re-emerged a changed man and slowly wrestled control before a birdie on 17 pushed him one clear of Scotland's Robert MacIntyre. His instantly iconic putt for the ages sealed a two-shot victory, his two young daughters rushing to embrace the Father's Day champion.
'I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,' Spaun said afterwards. 'I never knew what my ceiling was. I'm so proud I have been resilient.'
As every angle of his putt was replayed one was particularly pleasing on the eye — a look inside the scorer's office where MacIntyre sat watching. The Scottish Ryder Cup star applauded and exclaimed 'wow'. There were no other words for it.
Bob MacIntyre's reaction to JJ Spaun's winning putt 😲👏 pic.twitter.com/GF9BbuBifW — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 16, 2025
MacIntyre burst into contention to become Scotland's first major winner since 1999 on Sunday at a rain-soaked Oakmont after producing an excellent two-under-par 68.
That made him the clubhouse leader at one over and he looked set for at least a play-off against Spaun, who had two holes to play.
But the American first sent a stunning 309-yard drive onto the green at the short par-four 17th and two-putted for a birdie before sinking his mammoth effort to seal glory.
While the 17th hole helped Spaun's dreams come true, it killed Tyrell Hatton's. The Englishman was in a five-way tie for the lead at one over when he found himself still in the rough after three shots. He bogeyed that and then the 18th to finish three over.
Spaun may consider the thunderstorm at around 4pm local time (9pm BST) to be divine intervention.
Before the heavens opened at Oakmont and forced a 96-minute delay, the first-round leader was five over for his round after eight holes.
But while leaders Sam Burns and Adam Scott floundered in the soaking conditions after the resumption, Spaun found his best game and birdies at the 12th, 14th, 17th and 18th took him to glory.
Indeed, Burns and Scott could not cope after the restart as they seemed in competition to see who could find the worst positions in the rough.
Burns was the overnight leader at four under but his round disintegrated after the resumption, with two double bogeys in an ugly round of eight over par to finish tied for seventh on four over.
Scott, hoping to win a major for the first time in 12 years, fared even worse, going round in 79.
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler ended up tied for seventh after impressive rounds, while McIlroy, who produced his best round of a difficult week to finish on seven over, back-doored his way into another US Open top 20 finish.
McIlroy was already on his flight out of Pennsylvania by the time all was settled. He'd ended another peculiar post-Masters week on a real high and had stopped to speak with the media about finding his "next Everest", hopefully at the Open back home in Portrush.
But at the course he left behind there was a new face reaching his own summit. Spaun's climb is unlike perhaps any other major winner. A decade ago he was on the PGA Canada Tour and made just a single cut all season, earning himself a total prize pot of $825. He first earned his PGA Tour card in 2016 only to lose it in 2020.
J.J. Spaun gets his hands on the U.S. Open trophy 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vWQ3PI2eMZ — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 16, 2025
On Sunday he signed for his 72 and earned $4.3m in return. A Ryder Cup place is almost certainly his and plenty more besides.
"It's definitely a storybook, fairytale ending, [an] underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting," he said. "With the rain and everything and then the putt, I mean, you couldn't write a better story.
"You watch other people do it. You see the Tiger chip, you see Nick Taylor's putt, you see crazy moments. To have my own moment like that at this championship, I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life."
-With files from PA