Categories Sports

J.J. Spaun Wins First Major Title at 125th U.S. Open

J.J. Spaun battled back from a rough start and challenging weather conditions to capture his first major championship at the 125th U.S. Open on Sunday. Playing through cold, foggy rain at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, Spaun pulled away from a crowded leaderboard to win by two strokes and claim the biggest title of his career. The victory also marks his second PGA Tour win, following his title at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.

The final round saw six players hold at least a share of the lead, with five tied for first at one point. Spaun took sole possession of the lead at even par on the 314-yard par-4 17th hole, reaching the green with a perfect 309-yard drive that left him 18 feet from the hole. Though his eagle attempt missed, he sank a 3-foot, 6-inch birdie putt to take a one-stroke lead.

On the 18th, Spaun split the fairway with his drive down the right side, setting up a dramatic 64-foot, 5-inch birdie putt to seal his win—his second straight birdie to close the round. He finished two strokes ahead of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and was the only player to finish the tournament under par at 1-under 279.

Spaun started the day just one shot behind 54-hole leader Sam Burns, but quickly fell four shots behind after bogeying five of his first six holes. His resilience down the stretch made history, becoming the first U.S. Open champion to begin his final round with three consecutive holes over par, and just the fifth to birdie the final two holes on his way to victory.

Spaun moves up 17 spots to reach No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He also jumped 10 spots in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, now sitting in third.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *