J.J. Spaun reigned victorious at Oakmont recently, after he holed a 64-foot putt on the final hole to win the US Open.
The US Open has thrown up some real surprise winners throughout the years, and Spaun was the latest to get his name engraved on the trophy.
Steve Jones and Michael Campbell both won the US Open out of the blue in 1996 and 2005 respectively, and Spaun certainly wasn’t fancied by many heading into Oakmont.
However, that all changed immediately after the tournament started. The 34-year-old was in supreme form, in all aspects of his game.
That said, he endured a really difficult start to the final round at Oakmont, and he went out in 40 shots. The rain then helped him out massively though.
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Spaun came out flying after the rain delay at the US Open, and produced some sensational golf, playing his final nine holes in three-under par.
His win may have shocked golf fans the world over, but it didn’t come as a surprise to one man who watched him on the range prior to the start of the tournament.
What was noticed about J.J. Spaun before the US Open at Oakmont
After his win, Spaun admitted that the rain delay at the US Open came at a really crucial time for him.
But aside from his front nine on the final day, his game was in excellent shape all week long really.
Claude Harmon watched Spaun’s entire range session pretty much on Tuesday before the US Open began.
And Harmon explained what he thought of the 34-year-old’s ball-striking, when speaking on his Son of a Butch podcast.
He said: “DJ was hitting golf balls next to J.J. on Tuesday, and a friend of mine messaged me and he said, ‘hey, I need some sleeper picks, give me some not superstar picks’. I’m sitting there and I’m thinking, okay, Shane Lowry finished second there, had a big lead.
“It’s a golf course that I know he really, really likes. He’s been playing well. I said, I think Shane Lowry, but J.J. is hitting balls right next to us.
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“He’s working with his coach, Adam Schriber. First of all, there’s the sound test. There’s an audio test when you’re watching guys hit golf balls on the range, and there are guys that have a completely different audio test.
“Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, they’re all out of the centre of the clubface. I’m watching J.J. hit balls, and every single one of them is out of the middle of the clubface. The sound is good, the balance is good, I’m watching the shape.
“This was through the bag. We got to the range about the same time I watched him do an entire practice session.“
The challenge that J.J. Spaun faces after US Open win
The 34-year-old will now have to really manage his time going forward.
After his huge win at the US Open, everyone will want a piece of the pie.
And six-time PGA Tour winner Gary Koch highlighted some of the pitfalls that could be lying in wait for Spaun.
He said: “Well, I think what will be fascinating to see, and I think it happens anytime, a guy who maybe you don’t expect to win a major wins one, is what happens after that, because it is going to be different. You know, now all of a sudden, there are a lot of demands on your time, you know, a lot of opportunities to make money, you know, but again, does that take you out of your normal routine? Does that take you out of, you know, the things that you used to do to get to where you got by winning the US Open?
“I’ve seen it, you know, happen numerous times. I mean, some guys handle it very well, other guys don’t, and you just never know. But the demands on your time, you know, having never won a major, but I just know, you need to learn how to say no, is one thing that’s really important, because now every time something comes up, you know, J.J. Spaun is going to be asked about it because he’s the US Open Champion.
“Doesn’t matter whether it’s about golf or life or something else, politics even, you know, how the world’s going. He’s going to be asked about it. So managing your time and still being able to do the things that got you to where you are, I think is critical.”
