On Sunday night, J.J. Spaun achieved an unforgettable feat by sinking a 65-foot putt on the final hole of the Oakmont Country Club, sealing his victory at the US Open. This impressive putt, the longest of the entire championship, allowed him to win the third major of the season by two strokes over Scottish player Robert MacIntyre.
At that point, MacIntyre was comfortably seated in the clubhouse watching Spaun’s shot on TV, as his two-under-par round had ended a long time ago. But by then, the brutal layout of Oakmont designed by the USGA had already “devoured” all the remaining contenders on the course, further complicated by the wind and a light rain.
For example, Sam Burns, started the round as the leader, but on Sunday he shot eight over par, with two double bogeys, including a controversial incident with his ball over water on the fairway of the 15th hole. Adam Scott, the veteran Australian and winner of the 2013 Masters, had started the fourth round just one stroke behind Burns, and after a +9, dropped to 12th place.
The unexpected winner of the US Open
Few would have bet on this outcome a decade ago, including J.J. Spaun himself. According to the data from an article by Golf Monthly, his professional golf journey did not follow the usual pattern: he was born and raised in California without receiving formal training in the sport. Nevertheless, his natural talent led him as walk-on at San Diego State University, where he honed his technique in a self-taught manner. After standing out at the collegiate level, he made the leap to professionalism in 2012 on the PGA Tour Canada, where he began his long journey towards the elite.
“Since I was a child, I dreamed of this. I played with my parents, watched golf all the time. I never had a coach, I wasn’t part of academies or played in important tournaments... I qualified for the US Junior twice and that’s when I felt I had something special,” Spaun confessed.
Spaun’s journey to the top of the world golf is distinguished by its difficulty. Instead of quickly advancing through the traditional steps of professional golf, he had to forge his career with persistence.
According to journalist Ryan French, from Monday Q Info, in the 2013 seasons, Spaun only earned $815 throughout the year, but in 2015 his luck changed: he won a tournament on the PGA Tour Canada and set a new record for earnings in a single season within that circuit.
In 2017, he was able to finally enter the PGA of the United States, the most important tour worldwide, and in 2022 he achieved his first, and until yesterday only title, at the Valero Texas Open.
He didn’t have outstanding campaigns in 2023 and 2025, but this year everything changed: he has made the cut in 14 out of 17 tournaments, with five top-10 finishes and finished second in two tournaments, including The Players, where he lost in a playoff against Rory McIlroy.
Her consecration was at the US Open, where she pocketed $4.3 million and now ranks eighth in the world.
Philosophy of struggle and reward
After his victory, J.J. Spaun shared some thoughts on the mindset that helped him overcome. “Last June, I felt like I was about to lose my spot on the tour. I thought that if that was going to happen, it would be while fighting. My coach always reminds me that if a shot is difficult, you have to commit. You can’t back down. Make the swing you want and if it doesn’t work out, at least you tried. That was my guide throughout the season.”
His coronation came on Father’s Day and just that Sunday at 3 am he had to go to a pharmacy because one of his daughters was vomiting. “It was a bit of a rough start to the morning,” Spaun said. "I don’t blame my start, but in a way it fit with what was happening, the chaos."
Of course, because with that mindset Spaun also had to recover from a rough start in the last round where he hit 40 shots with five bogeys in the first nine holes.
“It was a movie-like ending: the underdog who never gives up. With the rain, that putt... you can’t write anything better than that. I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this story," expressed the newly crowned US Open champion.