How a journeyman who nearly quit golf overcame the odds to win the US Open
The 125th U.S. Open had its usual drama – unbelievably tough golf course, terrible conditions and a leaderboard with more than half a dozen players in contention midway through the final round. To add some flavor at Oakmont Country Club, throw in a comeback by 34-year-old journeyman J.J. Spaun, who nearly quit the game, and his “walk-off” 64-foot putt to win the championship on the final hole.
What made J.J. Spaun’s US Open win special?
What happened Sunday, June 15, may one day be a Hollywood movie script.
Spaun was near the top of the leaderboard all tournament, but his final round began with bogies on five of the first six holes. His dream of a major championship, all but dead.
“I felt like I had a chance,” Spaun said, sitting beside the trophy. “A really good chance to win the U.S. Open at the start of the day, and it just unraveled really fast. That break was actually the key, for me, to winning this tournament.”
The break Spaun needed came when the skies opened up, soaking the course and causing a delay of more than an hour. He started over, even changing clothes.
He returned with three straight pars to start the back nine, while mistakes by others started to mount. The tournament was there for the taking once again, but Spaun had to convince himself he could do it.
“If I can do this when there’s no pressure or no lead, why can’t I do it when there is?” Spaun said. “It’s really trying to get over that line of handling the nerves and handling the pressure, and I really showed myself a lot today on that back nine.”
How did Spaun get past his self-doubt?
Spaun is the definition of a journeyman golfer. He’s a self-taught kid from California who walked on at San Diego State before becoming an All-American. His 11-year career on the PGA Tour has been up and down, with just one previous win, the 2022 Valero Texas Open. Last season, he nearly quit, asking friends and others if they knew of anyone looking to hire a teaching pro. He was ranked outside the top 125 and resigned to his fate.
“Last year in June, I was looking like I was going to lose my job,” Spaun said. “And that was when I had that moment where, if this is how I go out, I might as well go down swinging.”
On Sunday, those swings led to that “walk-off” win in just his ninth major championship. He said he did not look at the scoreboard because he didn’t want to play defensively. Needing two putts to earn the trophy, his 64-footer traveled across the green with a big curve and dropped in, setting off pandemonium in the gallery and a celebration with his wife and two young daughters on Father’s Day.
“Just to finish it off like that is just a dream,” Spaun said. “You watch other people do it, Tiger’s chip, you see Nick Taylor’s putt, you see just crazy moments, and to have my own moment like that at this championship, I’ll never forget this moment for the rest of my life.”
What was the reaction to Spaun’s win?
His fellow competitors recognized it, too. Englishman Tyrrell Hatton was mid-interview as the putt rolled in, glancing at a television screen out of the corner of his eye.
“He’s holed it,” Hatton said. “Unbelievable. What a putt to win. That’s incredible.”
Viktor Hovland, who finished third, was on the green when the putt dropped. He gave Spaun a high-five and, after the round, marveled at his comeback.
“That was unbelievable,” Hovland said. “After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately. Everyone came back to the pack. I wasn’t expecting that, really.”
Spaun is the only player in the field of 156 that finished under par. The win changed his life. A $4.3 million paycheck is just the start. The win also comes with a 5-year PGA Tour exemption, which guarantees he has a spot in every tournament — including major championships. He’s also earned a 10-year exemption at the U.S. Open.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
