U.S. Open Runner-Up's Reaction to J.J. Spaun's Winning Putt Catches Attention
U.S. Open Runner-Up's Reaction to J.J. Spaun's Winning Putt Catches Attention originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Every sportsman likes to imagine how they would react to winning a national championship, but it's not often that they imagine how they would react in a losing scenario.
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On Sunday afternoon at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, Robert MacIntyre showed everyone what a sportsman he really is, and he's being applauded for it.
After taking the clubhouse lead at one-over par, MacIntyre had to sit idly by in the clubhouse and wait for the rest of the field to finish, hoping to dodge a lower score and take home the U.S. Open title. After holing a birdie on the 17th, J.J. Spaun just needed a two-putt par on the 18th to win his first major championship.
Instead, he holed a 64-foot birdie putt to win the tournament by two strokes.
J.J. Spaun holds his daughter Emerson with his wife Melody Spaun just behind the duo at the conclusion of the Par 3 Contest at The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Rob Schumacher-Imagn Images
The putt from Spaun was the longest made by anyone in the entire tournament all week long, capping off an incredible final round that saw him bogey five of the first six holes earlier in the day.
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Meanwhile, MacIntyre had a classy reaction to watching the putt drop from the clubhouse.
Instead of being upset, MacIntyre seemed genuinely impressed by the putt, clapping his hands and saying "wow!"
While it's fun to imagine that a lot of people would react in a similar fashion, it's fair to say that MacIntyre might be in a small group of people that would react so cordially to missing out on his first major championship opportunity.
Credit to MacIntyre for being a class act in this situation.
Related: Tiger Woods Left Golf World Buzzing During Final Round Weather Delay at 2025 U.S. Open
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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