PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: J.J. Spaun of the United States plays his shot from the 18th tee during the third round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 15, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
J.J. Spaun, who entered the week ranked outside of the top 20, won the U.S. Open and did it in incredible fashion.
Entering the 72nd hole of the weekend, Spaun was up one stroke on Robert MacIntyre and needed a par on the hole to hold his lead.
Spaun opted for a birdie instead, draining a 64-foot putt and walking off the hole with his first career major championship.
“With the rain and everything, and then the putt. You couldn’t write a better story,” Spaun said. “I’m just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that.”
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Spaun started Sunday bogeying five of the first six holes, shooting a 40 on the front nine. After a rain delay, Spaun kicked into high gear, shooting a 32 on the back nine and finishing his round with back-to-back birdies.
He joins Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Jon Rahm as the only golfers to win a U.S. Open with a birdie-birdie finish.
Spaun entered the weekend with 120-1 odds to win the U.S. Open. His only previous PGA Tour win was the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
In addition to the winner’s share of $4.3 million, Spaun’s name will forever remain among the greats in the history of the tournament.
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