Wet and miserable? All perfect for Spaun
OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA—JJ Spaun endured the toughest test in golf on the toughest course in America in the worst kind of conditions. And then he turned this miserable, wet Sunday at Oakmont into a finish as memorable as any in the US Open.
The champion not many expected delivered two shots no one will forget.
First came his driver on the 314-yard 17th hole onto the green for a two-putt birdie that gave him the lead. Then, needing two putts from 65 feet on the 18th to win, he finished his storybook Open by holing the longest putt all week at Oakmont for birdie and a 2-over 72.
For all the mess Oakmont became in a series of downpours, for all the bad breaks and bad lies and bad shots that cost so many contenders, Spaun overcame a start that would have ended hopes of more seasoned players and weathered the pressure to claim his greatest prize.
“I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,” said Spaun, who finished last year at No. 119 in the world and moved up to No. 8 with his US Open victory. “I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was. I’m just trying to be the best golfer I can be.
“I’m happy to display that here at Oakmont.”
He finished at 1-under 279, the sole survivor to par, and won by two shots over Robert MacIntyre of Scotland, who watched the finish from a scoring room and could only applaud the stunning conclusion.
Five players shared the lead with an hour to go. Four players were still tied as the US Open made its way to the final four holes that frustrated Sam Burns and Tyrrell Hatton, and crushed the hopes of Adam Scott and Carlos Ortiz.
The last man standing was Spaun, the 34-year-old Californian with an eerie resemblance to the late Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris.
Never mind that Spaun lacked the pedigree of so many players groomed in elite competition, that he had only one PGA Tour title until Sunday, was playing in only his second US Open and had never cracked the top 20 in his previous eight majors.
Calamity for others
The ending was magical. The road leading to his US Open title was hard work and resiliency, especially on Sunday. One shot behind to start the final round, he had five bogeys in six holes, including a shot that hit the pin on No. 2 and caromed 35 yards back into the fairway, turning birdie into a bogey.
“It felt like as bad as things were going, I just still tried to just commit to every shot. I tried to just continue to dig deep. I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Spaun said. “I think that’s been the biggest difference this year has been being able to do that. Fortunately, I dug very deep on the back nine, and things went my way, and here we are with the trophy.”
It was calamity for so many others.
Burns had a two-shot lead going to the 11th tee, made a double bogey from a divot in the first cut on No. 11 and from a lie in the fairway on No. 15, so wet he thought he deserved relief. He shot 78.
“It’s a tough golf course, and I didn’t have my best stuff, and clearly it showed,” he said.
Scott, trying to become the first player to go more than 11 years between major titles, was tied for the lead with five holes to play. One of the best drivers could no longer find the fairway. He played them in 5 over and shot 79.
