JJ Spaun Stuns PGA Tour Field: Highlights, Stats & What His Breakthrough Win Means for Major Season

Fans at Oakmont Country Club saw history Sunday evening when 34-year-old J.J. Spaun buried a 64-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to win the 125th U.S. Open, finishing at 1-under-par 279 and beating Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre by two strokes. Spaun’s path to his first major looked anything but certain. After opening the final round one shot behind Sam Burns, the San Diego State alumnus bogeyed five of his first six holes and turned in 40. A composed back-nine 32—highlighted by a daring driveable-par-4 17th that set up a two-putt birdie—put him in position to seal the championship with that dramatic walk-off putt. Turning point on the back nine Spaun’s comeback started at the par-5 12th, where he canned a 40-footer for birdie to regain momentum. Precise iron play over Oakmont’s lightning-fast greens then produced red numbers at 14 and 17, erasing the early damage and pushing him to the top of a jam-packed leaderboard that featured Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Burns. Clutch 64-footer etches name in Open lore Needing par on the formidable 18th to post 1-under, Spaun instead delivered the putt of his life. Reading the line off Hovland’s attempt, he sent his ball curling across multiple breaks before it disappeared for birdie, triggering a thunderous roar from the grandstand and securing his place among major champions. Career milestone • First major championship and second PGA Tour title (first: 2022 Valero Texas Open). • Likely to vault inside the world’s top 25 and secure a five-year PGA Tour exemption. • Continues a breakout season that already includes three top-10 finishes and more than $5 million in earnings. What they said “I’ve dreamed about this since I was a kid chipping in my backyard,” Spaun told NBC after the trophy ceremony. “To do it here at Oakmont and hear the crowd erupt—there’s nothing like it.” MacIntyre called Spaun’s finish “the stuff movies are made of,” while Burns praised his playing partner’s “grit after that front nine.” Historic context Spaun is the first player since Jack Fleck (1955) to shoot 40 or worse on the front nine of a U.S. Open final round and still win. His 64-footer is the longest made putt to clinch the national championship since ShotLink data began tracking in 2003. What’s next for Spaun The new champion is scheduled to tee it up at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, where he’ll attempt to become the first player since Brooks Koepka (2018) to win a U.S. Open and his next PGA Tour start in back-to-back weeks. Spaun also locks up starts at the Masters, PGA Championship and The Open through 2030. Key takeaways for golf fans and fantasy gamers • Confidence play: Spaun’s improved driving accuracy (11/14 fairways in Round 4) suggests his offseason swing changes are paying off. • Putting surge: He ranked first for the week in Strokes Gained: Putting (+9.2). • Trend watch: Expect a spike in DFS ownership and betting markets, especially on shorter, positional courses similar to Oakmont. Final leaderboard (top 5) 1. J.J. Spaun –1 2. Robert MacIntyre +1 3. Viktor Hovland +2 T4. Cameron Young, Tyrrell Hatton, Carlos Ortiz +3 Spaun’s story—an under-recruited college golfer who fought through the Korn Ferry Tour and overcame Type 2 diabetes—adds another inspiring chapter to the U.S. Open’s rich folklore. With a major now on his résumé and a freshly minted five-year exemption, the sky appears to be the limit for golf’s newest star.