On the 72nd hole of the US Open, JJ Spaun knew that, realistically, he just had to hold his nerve to win the Oakmont Major.
His closest contender, Robert MacIntyre, was back in the clubhouse on one over and with Spaun even for the tournament, and only an eagle from playing partner Viktor Hovland could force him into a playoff if he just made par.
Hovland found the first cut to the right of the fairway with his tee shot, with Spaun landing in the fairway. So far, so good. However, the American’s heart would have been in his mouth watching his second shot, which stopped over 64 feet left of the pin.
That left the chances of a two-putt for his vital par in the balance, something not lost on MacIntyre, who was an interested observer from the scorer's tent, and surely sensed the possibility of returning for a playoff on Monday.
Soon after, Hovland followed Spaun’s effort with a near identical outcome, but crucially, the Norwegian was the first to putt. He gave it his all in pursuit of an unlikely birdie and the chance to put some last-minute pressure on his playing partner, knowing he could still reach a three-way playoff with a Spaun bogey. However, solid as his effort was, it drifted wide and a few feet beyond the hole.
That gave Spaun a vital read, though, but no one could have predicted what was about to come, as the 34-year-old, who narrowly missed out on The Players Championship title to Rory McIlroy in a playoff in March, made the putt of his life, as it found its way into the hole from over 64 feet, sparking wild and emotional celebrations.
WHAT A PUTT!!!!J.J. SPAUN WINS THE U.S. OPEN!!!! pic.twitter.com/EWdYQeDAzFJune 16, 2025
In truth, Spaun thoroughly deserved his title, having set the tone with a remarkable bogey-free 66 in the first round to hold the overnight lead, and he never fell too far off the pace.
Despite that, there was a difficult start for Spaun on Sunday, with five bogeys in his first six holes as his challenge appeared to fade, but he roared back to life with a back-nine 32, capped by a finish even he surely couldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams.
It was also redemption for Spaun given what happened at the TPC Sawgrass event in regulation before his ill-fated playoff against McIlroy. Then, he had another long putt to win the tournament, but his ball ran out of steam no more than half a roll from victory.
That will now be forgotten as he writes his name into the US Open history books, in its 125th edition, and in a manner that will live long in the memory.
