J.J. Spaun weathered both the elements and his own early struggles to produce a comeback for the ages on Sunday at Oakmont Country Club, capturing his first major title at the 125th U.S. Open in stunning fashion. With a long, curling 64½-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, Spaun sealed a two-stroke victory over Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and became the only player to finish the tournament under par, posting 1-under for the week.
It was a fittingly wild conclusion to a brutally tough tournament, made even more dramatic by a 96-minute weather delay and steady rain throughout the final round. On a day when six players shared or held the lead at various points, Spaun—who began the round one shot behind 54-hole leader Sam Burns—survived five bogeys in his first six holes to claw his way back and emerge victorious.
“I didn’t look at the leaderboard walking up 18,” Spaun said afterward. “I didn’t want to know. I just focused on every shot, and when that last putt dropped… I still can’t believe it.”
Spaun, 34, became the first U.S. Open winner to begin his final round with three straight holes over par, according to Elias Sports Bureau. But he showed incredible mental toughness, responding to his terrible start with a stretch of five straight pars to stabilize his round. He caught fire on the back nine, birdieing the 12th with a 40½-foot putt and then sinking a 22-footer on the par-4 14th to grab a share of the lead at even par.
The pivotal moment came at the short par-4 17th, where Spaun drove the green with a 309-yard blast. His eagle putt missed by inches, but he tapped in for birdie to take a one-stroke lead.
Then came the grand finale. As the rain fell on the drenched Oakmont fairways, Spaun’s approach on 18 landed 64½ feet from the pin. With tension in the air, he calmly struck the putt of his life. It broke left and then right before diving into the hole, setting off an emotional celebration. Spaun dropped his putter, raised both arms skyward, and gave the gallery a thunderous fist pump. Moments later, he embraced his caddie, Mark Carens, his wife, Melody, and their two daughters.
MacIntyre, who shot a final-round 68 to finish at 1-over, was attempting to become the first left-handed golfer to win the U.S. Open. He had a 33-foot birdie putt on 18 to tie Spaun at even par, but left it just short.
England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who was in a four-way tie at 1-over, made a costly bogey on 17 after chunking two bunker shots. “He’s holed it,” Hatton said as Spaun’s final putt dropped. “Unbelievable. What a putt to win. That’s incredible.”
Burns, who had appeared in command early on, fell apart down the stretch. After making the turn at 2-under overall, he hit a drive into a muddy divot on 11 and ended up with a double bogey. He followed with another bogey on 12 and never recovered, finishing in a tie for seventh at 4-over with Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.
Adam Scott, chasing his first major since the 2013 Masters, was also undone by late bogeys on 14 and 15.
Ranked No. 25 in the world entering the week, Spaun had been playing the best golf of his career, with two runner-up finishes this season, including a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship. His only previous PGA Tour victory came at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
With the win, Spaun earns the $4.3 million winner’s share and etches his name into golf history as the 125th U.S. Open champion—on perhaps the most difficult stage of all, Oakmont Country Club.
He became only the fifth champion to birdie both the 17th and 18th holes to close a U.S. Open and did so after playing his first six holes in 5-over.
“I’m still in shock,” Spaun admitted. “This means everything. To win here, to do it this way… I’ll never forget it.”
Neither will anyone who witnessed it.
