J.J. Spaun received some help from above on his 64-foot, U.S. Open clinching-putt.
Spaun’s caddie, Mark Carens, lost his father last year on Father’s Day. Carens’s father was named Eddie, and he was a presence during their triumph at Oakmont Country Club.
On the 72nd hole, Spaun’s playing partner, Viktor Hovland, coincidentally knocked his approach just a few feet next to Spaun’s ball.
“I just knew my dad was up in the sky,” Carens told the PGA Tour, “and I know he put Viktor’s ball right behind … when J.J. was there, I was like, ‘look, Ed gave us a good read.’”
"I just knew my dad was up in the sky ... When J.J. was there, I said, 'Ed gave us a good read.'"
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 16, 2025
@JJSpaun’s caddie Mark Carens on how the two-time TOUR champion was destined to win his first major @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/qoorOQCMFy
Spaun, who needed a two-putt to win, watched Hovland’s putt closely. Then, Spaun amazingly holed his effort.
“Viktor, we kind of got a good line, a good read on the speed,” Spaun said in his winner’s press conference. “I was more focused on how hard he was hitting it. I kind of knew the line already, but it looked like he gave it a pretty good whack because it started raining there for the last 10, 15 minutes. I just tried to pick my line and put a good stroke on it. I knew it was going to be a little slow.
“About 8 feet out, I kind of went up to the high side to see if it had a chance of going in, and it was like going right in. I was just in shock, disbelief that it went in and it was over.”
After the putt dropped, Spaun and Carens embraced each other. Carens was shouting, “Eddie in the sky.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as J.J. Spaun’s Caddie Had Special Quote About His Late Dad Helping on Winning Putt.
