Robert MacIntyre's gesture to JJ Spaun captured by TV cameras at US Open
Robert MacIntyre produced a stunning final round at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday but it wasn't enough as JJ Spaun claimed a famous victory at the US Open to clinch his first major
Robert MacIntyre's classy gesture as JJ Spaun won the US Open was caught by TV cameras. The Scottish golfer could have been forgiven for starting to believe he had done enough to win his first major title himself.
MacIntyre 's impressive final-round 68 amid the Pennsylvania rain set the clubhouse lead at one-over-par. Spaun, who started in a share of second place at three-under-par, had been without luck early in his round to fall away from the lead.
Yet, the American launched a spectacular comeback, birdieing the 17th to take a one-shot lead up the last, before sealing his first major triumph with a stunning 66-foot birdie putt.
Sat in the scorers' room at that moment, MacIntyre's reaction to Spaun's incredible long-range putt to clinch the title was telling. The two-time PGA Tour winner responded with sincere applause and simply said: 'Wow.'
MacIntyre started the final round seven shots off the lead and he was the only player in the top six to card an under-par round on Sunday, putting together a brilliant 68 in the most difficult of conditions, emerging from a 100-minute weather delay to show why he deserves to be considered one of the best talents in the sport.
The Scotsman had made it clear even before Spaun's decisive shot that he would have no regrets, regardless of the result, reports the Mirror US.
He said: "The back nine was just all about fighting. My previous rain delay comebacks haven't been strong. Today was a day that I said to myself, 'Why not? Why not it be me today?'
"When I was going round, and I just trusted myself, trusted my caddie, trusted all the work that I've done, and we're sitting here in the clubhouse nicely, and just wait and see."
Spaun tried to contain his emotions on the 18th green as he was presented with the US Open Championship Trophy, before being interviewed by NBC's Mike Tirico.
"I don't think I kept my composure, to be honest, with all the breaks I was getting," Spaun said in relation to a pair of unlucky bounces in his opening three holes. "I was trying to just dig deep and hit some good shots coming in.
"But honestly, the weather delay we had changed the whole vibe for the day. I bounced back and fought really hard on the back nine.
"When I hit it, I thought it was a little short, but it was right on the line I was going for and about eight feet out it was just looking really good. It was just going right at the hole and it's just one of those moments in major championships where that happens to seal the deal. Fortunately, it was my time.
"I never thought I would be here holding this trophy. I always had aspirations and dreams, but I never knew what my ceiling was or how good I could be.
"But I'm just proud that I've been resilient in my career and pushed through a lot of things and just tried to be the best golfer I can be. I'm happy to display that today at Oakmont."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
15 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Dan Evans: I've come full circle winning first match at Andy Murray Arena
Evans beat world number 13 Frances Tiafoe 7-5 6-2 to reach the second round of the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club. The 35-year-old was Murray's partner when the three-time grand slam winner and former world number one played his final match, for Great Britain in the men's doubles at the Olympics last year. 'I didn't really think anything of it when I was put first on,' said Evans. 'But then a few people mentioned it, that I had finished with him in his last match and then played the men's event, the first match. It was pretty cool to do that.' Evans, now ranked a lowly 199 and plodding around the lower-tier Challenger events, rolled back the years against big-serving American Tiafoe. He picked up his second career win over a top-20 opponent on grass, having knocked 16th-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili out of Wimbledon six years ago. 'I still believed I've got that tennis in me and I still believe I can do good things inside the top 100. But believing it and it happening is a lot different,' he added. 'You know, that's why I wake up in the morning to go to practice, to go to training. Top WIN for Dan Evans 💪 Dan claims his first @atptour Top 20 win since September 2023 #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #HSBCChampionships — LTA (@the_LTA) June 16, 2025 'You know how some days you think 'are you deluded, are you nuts, have you still got it, still got it in your legs'? I think today showed I still have a bit left.' Evans needed a wildcard to play at Queen's and will need another if he is to compete at Wimbledon. 'I don't think any younger players have been ripping up stumps to knock me out of the wildcard spot,' he said. 'So I think I've got a good shot again. If I don't, yeah, I respect the All England Club. It's an amazing tournament, and they might go for younger people, which is perfectly fine. If they don't, I've got a chance.' British number two Jacob Fearnley joined Evans in round two after he made short work of Australia's Alex Bolt with a 6-2 6-4 victory. Edinburgh-born Fearnley, 23, said: 'It's really special to play here at Queen's on the Andy Murray Arena. 'As a British tennis player, this is where we want to be playing, in front of a home crowd at Queen's. 'It's huge. I'm super happy he got an arena named after him. He was my biggest role model growing up.' But there was disappointment for British number three Cameron Norrie, who was beaten 7-6 (6) 1-6 6-1 by Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
Leader Live
16 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Dan Evans: I've come full circle winning first match at Andy Murray Arena
Evans beat world number 13 Frances Tiafoe 7-5 6-2 to reach the second round of the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club. The 35-year-old was Murray's partner when the three-time grand slam winner and former world number one played his final match, for Great Britain in the men's doubles at the Olympics last year. 'I didn't really think anything of it when I was put first on,' said Evans. 'But then a few people mentioned it, that I had finished with him in his last match and then played the men's event, the first match. It was pretty cool to do that.' Evans, now ranked a lowly 199 and plodding around the lower-tier Challenger events, rolled back the years against big-serving American Tiafoe. He picked up his second career win over a top-20 opponent on grass, having knocked 16th-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili out of Wimbledon six years ago. 'I still believed I've got that tennis in me and I still believe I can do good things inside the top 100. But believing it and it happening is a lot different,' he added. 'You know, that's why I wake up in the morning to go to practice, to go to training. Top WIN for Dan Evans 💪 Dan claims his first @atptour Top 20 win since September 2023 #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #HSBCChampionships — LTA (@the_LTA) June 16, 2025 'You know how some days you think 'are you deluded, are you nuts, have you still got it, still got it in your legs'? I think today showed I still have a bit left.' Evans needed a wildcard to play at Queen's and will need another if he is to compete at Wimbledon. 'I don't think any younger players have been ripping up stumps to knock me out of the wildcard spot,' he said. 'So I think I've got a good shot again. If I don't, yeah, I respect the All England Club. It's an amazing tournament, and they might go for younger people, which is perfectly fine. If they don't, I've got a chance.' British number two Jacob Fearnley joined Evans in round two after he made short work of Australia's Alex Bolt with a 6-2 6-4 victory. Edinburgh-born Fearnley, 23, said: 'It's really special to play here at Queen's on the Andy Murray Arena. 'As a British tennis player, this is where we want to be playing, in front of a home crowd at Queen's. 'It's huge. I'm super happy he got an arena named after him. He was my biggest role model growing up.' But there was disappointment for British number three Cameron Norrie, who was beaten 7-6 (6) 1-6 6-1 by Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
South Wales Guardian
25 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Carl Spackler adds truly international flavour to Queen Anne cracker
Three times a Grade One winner for Chad Brown in the States, the Lope De Vega five-year-old is now owned by Yulong Investments and with a new trainer in Ciaron Maher, meaning he will be a first Australian runner in a race superstar American mare Tepin won in 2016. Connections feel they have the right type of horse to be competitive, with William Bourne, Maher's bloodstock manager, saying: 'The sample size (of international runners in the Queen Anne) isn't huge, but his times really stacked up and just his temperament and attitude, he's the perfect horse to travel – he's an absolute dude and I think he's going to run a big race. Yulong Investments have confirmed the purchase of Carl Spackler, who will target the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal @Ascot! The horse, who has joined @cmaherracing, will become the first Australian-trained runner in the race before heading down under for a spring campaign. — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 26, 2025 'He's a very straightforward horse, there's not much to know – what you see is what you get. He's got a great temperament, he's like a kid's pony, he's made it so easy to bring him here, get him into the rhythm and train him. He's definitely made life easy for the boss. 'It's a red-hot race, there's no hiding, you're at Royal Ascot in a Group One so you're under no impression you're going to get an easy field. It is what it is, we think he's a pretty good horse and hopefully he can show up on Tuesday. 'When you speak to English owners and trainers at the Melbourne Cup, the buzz is the whole week and this is very similar – great weather, a lot of people, a lot of hype. It's a very international raceday and world class so just to even be here as a spectator or have a horse here, it's a privilege and to have Yulong entrust us with the horse is just amazing.' Lead Artist, Dancing Gemini, Rosallion and Notable Speech set a high standard for Carl Spackler to aim at, having filled the first four places in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. With Sardinian Warrior a non-runner due to being off colour, John and Thady Gosden will rely on Lead Artist in Berkshire. John Gosden said: 'I think the stiff mile at Ascot will suit him well rather than a slick mile and it's a wonderful race. 'You have the first four in the Lockinge all turning up and will they finish in the same order, that will be the question. 'He got stuck in the ground at Sandown and he doesn't like that. He likes what we got at Newbury in the Lockinge and what we're hopefully going to get at Ascot on Tuesday. 'He was in need of the race at Sandown and he came there travelling nicely, it was just on that ground he struggled to get home. He turned that round and it wasn't a huge surprise. Did I think he would win? Probably not, but I did think he would run a huge race.' Notable Speech won last year's 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes and Charlie Appleby expects him to take a good step forward from his Lockinge reappearance. He told the Godolphin website: 'Notable Speech comes into this in great order and we are looking forward to seeing him on the straight track at Ascot. 'The Lockinge was his first start of the year and he has definitely come forward for the run. Conditions are there to suit him and it looks a fantastic race to kick off the meeting.'
