On a rain-soaked Sunday at Oakmont, J.J. Spaun delivered one of the most unlikely finishes in U.S. Open history, sinking a 64-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to claim his first major title.
Spaun’s journey to glory was anything but smooth. The 34-year-old stumbled out of the gate with five bogeys in his opening six holes, seemingly out of contention before the back nine even began. But grit and resilience defined his charge, three birdies over the final 12 holes flipped the script in stunning fashion.
With Robert MacIntyre sitting in the clubhouse at one-over, tied atop a four-way logjam, pressure mounted across the soaked fairways. Spaun held his nerve, dropping a birdie on the 17th to take the outright lead. Then came the moment that will live in major championship lore, a 64-foot, 5-inch putt on 18, the only putt of 60-plus feet holed all week.
It wasn’t just dramatic, it was historic. Spaun became only the fifth player in a century to win the U.S. Open without previously making a single cut in the tournament. He also joins the rarefied company of major winners over 34 who had never cracked the top 20 at a major before.
Oakmont, a course known for its punishing setup and merciless greens, proved again why it’s one of golf’s great tests. The rain added an extra layer of unpredictability, but Spaun embraced the chaos, writing a script few could have imagined.
There were no theatrics or outbursts from Spaun, just quiet belief and relentless persistence. As he walked off the 18th green, the emotion etched on his face said it all. After years of grinding, this was his moment, forged in adversity and sealed with brilliance.
