U.S. Open 2025: J.J. Spaun Outlasts Oakmont and the Field in a Battle of Survival to Win His First Major
Some golf championships are showcases of elegance, where precision and poise dance together across manicured fairways. The 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club was anything but that. It was a war of attrition, a brutal endurance test against rain, rough, and pressure—a stage where beauty was replaced with grit. And at the center of this storm stood J.J. Spaun, who didn’t just win—he survived.
Spaun captured his first major title with a score of 1-under par, one of only two players under par for the tournament. This wasn’t a triumph of dominance—it was a masterclass in resilience. He clawed his way through the final round, navigating one of the world’s toughest courses in unforgiving conditions, while a string of seasoned stars fell victim to Oakmont’s unrelenting brutality.
A Final Round for the Ages
With just six holes to play and the rain steadily falling, the leaderboard resembled a traffic jam of exhausted contenders: Sam Burns, Adam Scott, Tyrrell Hatton, Carlos Ortiz, and Spaun all sat tied at even par. Lurking just behind were Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre.
MacIntyre, who had quietly built momentum with birdies on 14 and 17, set the clubhouse mark at 1-over after holing a critical par putt on 18. One by one, his competitors faltered. Ortiz doubled the 15th, Hovland bogeyed it, and Hatton collapsed with closing bogeys at 17 and 18.
Burns’ unraveling was perhaps the most dramatic. Denied relief from standing water on 15, he was forced to hit from a soaked lie and promptly hooked it into the rough, resulting in a double bogey. Scott, aiming for his first major since the 2013 Masters, could never recover from his continual skirmishes with Oakmont’s punishing rough.
That left Spaun—and two unforgettable shots.
On the par-5 17th, Spaun launched one of the day’s best drives, giving himself an eagle opportunity. He settled for a birdie, vaulting to a one-stroke lead. Then, on the 18th, from 64 feet, he drained an astonishing birdie putt that slammed the door on the rest of the field.
“Just to finish it off like that is a dream,” Spaun said, visibly emotional. “You grow up watching Tiger’s chip at Augusta, or Nick Taylor’s putt, and you wonder what your moment might look like. Now I know
us Open 2025 jj Spawn outlasts Oakmont in the field in a battle of survival to win his first major some golf championships are showcases of elegance where precision and poise danced together across manicured fairways the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club was anything but that it was a war of attrition a brutal endurance test against rain rough and pressure a stage where beauty was replaced with grit and at the center of this storm stood JJ Spawn who didn’t just win he survived spawn captured his first major title with a score of one underpar one of only two players underpar for the tournament this wasn’t a triumph of dominance it was a masterclass in resilience he clawed his way through the final round navigating one of the world’s toughest courses in unforgiving conditions while a string of seasoned stars fell victim to Oakmont’s unrelenting brutality a final round for the ages with just six holes to play and the rain steadily falling the leaderboard resembled a traffic jam of exhausted contenders sam Burns Adam Scott Tyrell Haden Carlos Ortiz and Spawn all sat tied at even par lurking just behind were Victor Havlin and Robert McIntyre mcintyre who had quietly built momentum with birdies on 14 and 17 set the clubhouse mark at one over after hauling a critical par putt on 18 one by one his competitors faltered ortiz doubled the 15th havland bogeied it and hadn’t collapsed with closing bogeies at 17 and 18 burns unraveling was perhaps the most dramatic denied relief from standing water on 15 he was forced to hit from a soaked lie and promptly hooked it into the rough resulting in a double bogey scott aiming for his first major since the 2013 Masters could never recover from his continual skirmishes with Oakmont’s punishing rough that left Spawn and two unforgettable shots on the par 517th Spawn launched one of the day’s best drives giving himself an Eagle opportunity he settled for a birdie vaultting to a one-stroke lead then on the 18th from 64 ft he drained an astonishing birdie putt that slammed the door on the rest of the field “just to finish it off like that is a dream,” Spawn said visibly emotional “you grow up watching Tigers chip at Augusta or Nick Taylor’s putt and you wonder what your moment might look like now I know.” Oakmont golf’s toughest opponent most US Opens feature a dance between player and course at Oakmont it was a fist fight no course has hosted more US opens and few have extracted as much agony from the best players in the world from its infamous church pew bunkers to treacherously fast greens and unforgiving rough Oakmont doesn’t just test it punishes hopes that the likes of Scotty Sheffller Bryson Desambo or Rory Mroy might tame it were quickly dashed “when you’re in the fairway there’s opportunity,” Sheffller said pre-ournament “but miss it and it’s brutal truer words have never been spoken.” Spawn with little prior experience at Oakmont and playing in only his second US Open came out Thursday with a
