JJ Spaun rolled in the putt – and with it, his name into golf folklore.
A scarcely believable 64-foot birdie putt that twisted and turned like a rollercoaster through puddles on Oakmont’s iconic 18th green delivered the 33-year-old Californian his first major title on Sunday, capping off a chaotic final round of the US Open with the kind of drama only this tournament seems capable of producing.
Spaun’s final act of magic sealed a closing round of 69 and a two-shot victory over Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, as the rain-soaked course bore witness to a day of high tension, high drama, and high-quality golf.
“It’s surreal,” said Spaun, still visibly stunned by the enormity of his breakthrough moment. “You dream of these things. You play them over and over in your head as a kid. To do it here, in this weather, under this kind of pressure … it’s just unbelievable.”
The putt itself will be replayed for years to come – a snaking, uphill-downhill line that defied logic and physics as much as it did the relentless Oakmont greens. As the ball dropped into the cup, Spaun raised both arms skyward, dropped his putter, and turned to the crowd with a mix of disbelief and pure elation. The roar echoed through the Allegheny foothills.
It was a fitting climax to a final round that began with nine players within four shots of the lead and ended with Spaun holding the US Open trophy – and golf’s spotlight – for the first time.
Playing in the penultimate group, Spaun handled the treacherous layout with calm and composure, even as others around him faltered. Overnight leader Patrick Cantlay faded with a 75, while world No 1 Scottie Scheffler never recovered from a double bogey on the 3rd.
MacIntyre, chasing his own place in history as the first Scot since Paul Lawrie in 1999 to win a major, produced a valiant closing 68 but ultimately fell short as Spaun’s steady play and spectacular finale proved decisive.
Oakmont – true to its brutal reputation – played hard and fast despite the intermittent rain delays. Fairways ran like tarmac, rough swallowed clubs whole, and the greens, though softened, remained lightning quick. Only seven players finished under par, with Spaun’s winning total of four-under 276 emblematic of both his resilience and the course’s demand.
“This was the toughest day of golf I’ve ever had,” said MacIntyre. “But hats off to JJ – that was an incredible putt to win it. You can’t argue with that.”
Spaun, who came into the week ranked outside the world’s top 50 and with just one PGA Tour win to his name, now joins an illustrious list of US Open champions and punches his ticket to a new echelon of the sport.
His journey to this point has not been straightforward. Plagued by injuries early in his career and battling to retain his tour card just three years ago, Spaun has gradually rebuilt his game, culminating in Sunday’s career-defining moment.
“I’ve had to grind, had to be patient,” he said. “I always believed I had what it takes. Today, I proved it.”
With the win, Spaun earns a 10-year exemption into the US Open, five-year berths into the Masters, Open Championship, and PGA Championship, and vaults into the top 20 in the world rankings.
More than that, though, he walks away with a place in history – and a memory that no amount of prize money or world ranking points could ever match.
As the skies finally cleared over Oakmont and the trophy was handed over, Spaun cradled it gently, as if still unsure it was real.
“I guess it really happened,” he smiled. “This is going to take a while to sink in.”
