The 34-year-old Californian, a proud Filipino-Mexican American, battled brutal conditions and a disastrous start to deliver a finish that will echo in golf history. With a jaw-dropping 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, Spaun seized victory, finishing at 1-under 279, two shots ahead of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.
Spaun’s journey to the U.S. Open trophy was anything but smooth. Starting the final round just one shot off the lead, he stumbled with five bogeys in his first six holes, including a gut-wrenching moment on the second when his approach hit the pin and ricocheted 35 yards back, turning a potential birdie into a bogey.
“It felt like as bad as things were going, I just tried to commit to every shot,” Spaun said.
A 90-minute rain delay at the ninth hole changed everything. “The weather delay changed the whole vibe of the day,” he reflected, as he regrouped and roared back with only one bogey thereafter.
Oakmont, notorious for its punishing layout, was made even fiercer by relentless downpours that left the course on the brink of unplayable. Yet Spaun’s resilience shone through.
After the restart, he ignited the back nine with four birdies, including a daring driver off the deck on the 314-yard 17th that landed on the green, setting up a crucial birdie.
On the 18th, needing just two putts from 65 feet to win, Spaun, aided by Viktor Hovland’s read on the same line, drained the longest putt of the week for a walk-off birdie, sealing a 2-over 72 and the championship. “I never thought I’d be here holding this trophy,” said Spaun, who leaped from No. 119 to No. 8 in the world rankings.
The final round was a chaotic slugfest, with five players sharing the lead at one point and four tied entering the last four holes. Contenders like Sam Burns, Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Scott, and Carlos Ortiz faltered under Oakmont’s wrath, but Spaun stood tall.
MacIntyre, who fought back from nine shots down to post a 68, finished second at 1-over, earning praise for his grit. “What a putt to win. That’s incredible,” said Hatton, who tied for fourth with Ortiz and Cameron Young.
Viktor Hovland, finishing third, marveled, “After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately. This golf course is just a beast.”
Spaun, a former San Diego State standout with just one prior PGA Tour win, defied expectations. His storybook victory, only his second U.S. Open appearance, evokes comparisons to legends like Ben Hogan, who also birdied the final two holes to win at Oakmont in 1953.
Representing his Filipino and Mexican heritage, Spaun’s triumph is a testament to perseverance. “I’ve been digging deep my whole life,” he said, clutching the trophy. Oakmont’s rain-soaked chaos crowned an unlikely champion, and Spaun’s magical finish will be remembered as one of golf’s greatest underdog tales.
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