The final round of the U.S. Open was a struggle for every single golfer, but at the end of the day, J.J. Spaun rose above them all.
While the previous three rounds provided consistently good play from golfers like Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun, the weather disagreed with the course for most of the day, presenting mental as well as physical challenges for everyone.
Spaun struggled early on, going from 3-under-par to 2-over-par in the first six holes. He would go on to win the tournament as the only golfer to finish under-par, ending at 1-under-par. Spaun carded 66-72-69-72 across the four days to win the 125th U.S. Open, the tenth iteration of the tournament at Oakmont.
A 65 foot putt for birdie through blistering rain on the eighteenth hole solidified the victory for Spaun, who played the best well-rounded golf throughout what was a grueling four-day nightmare for the players.
54-hole leader Sam Burns held his lead through the front nine, finishing the first nine holes at 1-under-par after entering the day 4-under par.
It would all fall apart for him, however. He dropped as low as 4-over-par, where he eventually finished.
Scott struggled with consistency during his final round after rounds of 70,70 and 67 to begin the tournament. Scott, who began the day at 3-under-par bogeyed the first hole, then went on to bogey two more times and birdie once to bring him to 1-under-par. Scott would also collapse down the stretch, carding 6-over-par.
Robert MacIntyre made a significant push — carding a 68 on the round — but he entered the clubhouse at 1-over-par. His day was impressive, but he would be overshadowed by Spaun’s performance.
Shot of the day
With ease, the most electric shot of the day was Spaun’s final putt from 65 feet out to solidify the victory. While Spaun could have shot bogey on hole No. 18 and finished in first place, he was able to make the lengthy putt in the heavy rain with the crowd surrounding him around the green in order to win by two strokes.
Key stats of the day
Before today, Spaun had won only one event on the PGA tour — his Valero Texas Open win in 2022 — despite turning professional in 2012. He now joins Ben Hogan as the only two golfers to win both the Valero Texas Open and the U.S. Open.
In the history of the U.S. Open at Oakmont, a total of 1,541 golfers have teed off. Only 29, which now includes Spaun, have finished with a score under par.
Spaun’s winnings of $4,300,000 matches the winnings from the last U.S. Open, won by Bryson DeChambeau at the Pinehurst No. 2 course in North Carolina.
The post Spaun wins 125th U.S. Open, toughs out win in harrowing condition appeared first on The Pitt News.