OAKMONT (The Thursday Times) — In one of the most dramatic finales in US Open history, JJ Spaun claimed his first major title with a jaw-dropping 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th green, sealing a two-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre and stunning the world of golf at the legendary Oakmont Country Club.
The 33-year-old American, long considered a workhorse of the PGA Tour rather than a headline act, endured a disastrous start to his final round—bogeying five of his first six holes—before clawing his way back with grit, precision, and a touch of magic.
A stunning turnaround at Oakmont
Spaun began Sunday one stroke behind overnight leader Sam Burns but found himself spiralling early with three consecutive bogeys from the opening tee. An unlucky bounce at the second, where his approach hit the flagstick and ricocheted 50 yards away, typified a morning marred by misfortune. By the sixth hole, Spaun had carded five bogeys and was five strokes off the lead.
Then came the rain.
A heavy downpour forced a suspension of play at 4:01pm local time. When the final round resumed 95 minutes later, the leaderboard began to unravel—and Spaun seized his chance.
Spaun’s fightback begins
He reignited his round with a 40-foot birdie on the 12th and followed that with another long-range make at the 14th to briefly retake the solo lead. A bogey at 15 threatened to derail him again, especially as MacIntyre, Carlos Ortiz, Tyrrell Hatton and Burns all jostled for control in a chaotic back nine.
But Spaun responded in style. At the short par-four 17th, he drove the green and two-putted for birdie, reclaiming a one-shot lead heading into the final hole.
Then came the moment that will go down in Oakmont folklore.
From 65 feet away on the 18th green—needing only two putts to win—Spaun sent his ball arcing across the slick surface, and watched as it disappeared into the cup. The crowd erupted. MacIntyre, watching from the clubhouse, could only shake his head.
A leaderboard in flux
Robert MacIntyre had put together a composed final-round 68, with clutch birdies at the 14th and 17th. His score of one-over looked promising—until Spaun’s heroics denied him a playoff.
Viktor Hovland finished third, while Tyrrell Hatton, who dropped shots on his final two holes, ended tied-fourth alongside Cameron Young and Carlos Ortiz. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished in a tie for seventh after consistent weekend rounds of 70.
Burns, the 54-hole leader, collapsed with a final-round 78, including a double-bogey at the 15th, and joined Scheffler and Jon Rahm at four-over.
Rory McIlroy salvaged some pride with a three-under-par 67—one of the lowest rounds of the day—to jump into a tie for 19th.
“I had to dig deep” — Spaun reflects
Speaking after his historic victory, an emotional Spaun admitted the rollercoaster round had tested him mentally.
“I don’t think I did keep my composure with all the bad breaks I was getting,” he said. “I just tried to dig deep, hit some good shots. Honestly, the weather delay changed the whole vibe for the day. I leaned on past experiences and kept pushing.”
The triumph marked Spaun’s first win since the 2022 Valero Texas Open and propelled him into the top ten of the world rankings—significantly boosting his Ryder Cup prospects in the process.
“I never thought I’d be here holding this trophy. I’ve had dreams and aspirations, but I never knew how good I could be. I’m proud of how I’ve been resilient through everything.”
A US Open for the ages
Spaun’s final round 72 included six bogeys—more than any US Open winner since Hale Irwin in 1979—and a front-nine 40, making him the first player since Ernie Els in 2002 to shoot such a number in a major and still win.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t conventional. But it was unforgettable.
Oakmont, as ever, demanded excellence and punished imperfection. And yet it crowned a new major champion in the most spectacular way—through resilience, redemption, and a putt that may be replayed for generations.
