Standing on the 9th tee box amid torrential rain, it appeared J.J. Spaun’s chances of competing for the 2025 U.S. Open title had slipped away. Yet just a few hours later, Spaun surged past a tightly contested leaderboard, conquering both the challenging Oakmont course and the harsh weather to claim the championship.
Entering Sunday in the final group, Spaun began in disarray, making five bogeys within the first six holes. This performance seemed catastrophic, particularly compared to his stellar, bogey-free opening round of 66 (-4) on Thursday, a round Spaun described as “the best of his career.”
Then, heavy rain poured down, forcing a suspension of play for more than an hour and a half. Golfers and spectators were required to leave the course as Oakmont was engulfed by the storm. When play resumed, Spaun returned reinvigorated.
Spaun restarted strongly with three consecutive pars before making birdies on holes 12 and 14. His birdie on the 14th propelled him into a one-shot lead. However, a subsequent bogey on the 15th hole dramatically intensified the competition, resulting in a five-way tie at the top with only a few holes remaining.
The decisive moment came on the 17th hole. At the 308-yard par-4, Spaun executed a brilliant tee shot, landing directly onto the green, stopping within 20 feet of the pin. He easily two-putted for birdie, regaining sole possession of the lead.
Approaching the 18th hole needing only a par to secure his one-shot advantage over Robert MacIntyre of Scotland, the rain suddenly intensified. Spaun faced a challenging two-putt to clinch the championship.
However, he didn’t need the second putt. From 64 feet away, Spaun delivered an astonishing finish, holing the long putt for birdie to conclude the round triumphantly. He won the U.S. Open at a final score of -1, finishing two strokes ahead of MacIntyre.
As the ball dropped, Spaun threw his putter into the air, raised his fist in triumph, and embraced his caddie as the stunned crowd around the green erupted. It wasn’t until these final dramatic moments that someone had truly conquered Oakmont.
Viktor Hovland finished third with a total score of +2. Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Tyrrell Hatton, and Carlos Ortiz tied for fourth place at +3.
Read more [here] for updates on how Sunday’s drama unfolded at the U.S. Open (all times Eastern)
Sourse: Golf News
