OAKMONT, Pa. — J.J. Spaun survived a horrible begin and difficult components to tug away from the pack and seize his first main championship with a two-stroke victory within the a hundred and twenty fifth U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership on Sunday.
After choosing up a birdie on the seventeenth gap to go forward by one stroke, Spaun made a 64 ½-foot birdie putt on the 18th to safe his unlikely victory and defeat Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre by two.
After Spaun’s lengthy putt fell within the cup, he dropped his putter, raised his arms within the air, and gave the gang a fist-pump. He hugged caddie Mark Carens and later embraced his spouse, Melody, and two younger daughters.
Spaun was the one golfer to complete underneath par at 1-under 279. He posted an even-par 70 on Sunday and went 3 underneath on the again 9. Spaun will gather $4.3 million for the largest payday of his profession.
MacIntyre, who was making an attempt to turn out to be the primary left-handed golfer to win the U.S. Open, completed 1-over 281.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland completed third at 2 over 282.
Spaun grabbed the outright lead at even par by reaching the inexperienced with a 309-yard drive on the brief par-4 seventeenth gap. His eagle attempt from 18 ft slid previous the opening, however he made a 3 ½-foot birdie putt to go one stroke in entrance.
On the 18th gap, Spaun drove his tee shot down the correct aspect of the green. As he ready to hit his second shot, the skies opened up and dumped extra rain on the soaked course. Spaun hit his method to 64 ½ ft, organising the dramatic end.
Spaun began the day just one stroke behind 54-hole chief Sam Burns, however trailed by as many as 4 after carding bogeys on 5 of his first six holes.
Spaun, 34, is the primary U.S. Open winner to begin his last spherical with three consecutive holes over par, in line with Elias Sports activities Bureau.
It was the largest second of Spaun’s profession. The Los Angeles native’s solely prior PGA Tour victory got here within the 2022 Valero Texas Open. Ranked twenty fifth within the Official World Golf Rating, Spaun has performed among the finest golf of his profession this 12 months.
It was a wild end to a last spherical at Oakmont Nation Membership that included a 96-minute climate delay and regular rain that made one of the crucial demanding golf programs on the earth much more troublesome.
Six golfers had at the least a share of the lead within the last spherical, and at one level 5 have been tied for first.
MacIntyre had an opportunity to get to even par however left a 33-foot birdie attempt on No. 18 a few ft brief and settled for a 2-under 68 within the last spherical.