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Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Spaun creates magic moment to win first major at US Open
OAKMONT: J.J. Spaun sank a 65-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the US Open on Sunday, capturing his first major title despite bogeys on five of his first six holes. The 34-year-old American finished 72 holes at Oakmont on one-under-par 279 after a closing two-over 72 to defeat Scotland's Robert MacIntyre by two strokes with Norway's Viktor Hovland third on 282. 'I never thought I would be holding this trophy,' Spaun said. 'I'm proud I've been so resilient in my career.' Well behind for most of the day, Spaun watched US leader Sam Burns and Australian Adam Scott stumble while he charged back with four birdies on the last seven holes. 'I don't think I did keep my composure,' Spaun said about his bad start. 'I was trying to dig deep and hit some great shots coming in.' Spaun, the first US Open champion to bogey the first three holes in his final round, sank a 40-foot birdie putt at the par-five 12th, a 22-foot birdie putt at 14 and answered a bogey at 15 with a clutch tap-in birdie at 17 to grab the lead before rolling in the clincher at 18. 'When I hit it I thought it was short,' Spaun said. 'But about eight feet out it was looking pretty good. 'It's just one of those moments in major championships when you seal the deal.' Spaun, who took home a top prize of $4.3 million, wiped tears from his eyes as spectators chanted his name when he walked off the green. The only prior PGA Tour victory in Spaun's career came at the 2022 Texas Open. Spaun said a 96-minute suspension in play for dangerous weather just before he began the back nine made a difference, allowing him to reset. 'The weather definitely changed the whole vibe for the day,' Spaun said. 'I fought really hard.' Sharing the top spot with clubhouse leader MacIntyre, Spaun drove the green at the par-four 17th, missed an 18-foot eagle putt but sank a comeback birdie putt from just over three feet to seize the lead. 'Pulled it off. It was nice,' said Spaun of his crucial tee shot. 'Happy to walk away with birdie.' Spaun thrived while a roller coaster back nine delivered a twist-filled drama that wiped out his rivals. Burns went five-over in the first 12 holes to surrender the solo lead and leave eight players within two strokes of the lead down the stretch. MacIntyre, trying to become the first left-handed US Open winner, sank a four-foot birdie putt on 17 to reach one-under with Burns and Hatton and when Spaun missed a 12-foot putt to bogey 15, there was a four-way tie at the top. MacIntyre parred 18 to finish on 68 and reach the clubhouse on one-over while Burns made double bogey at 15 and Hatton made bogey at 17. 'Gave myself a chance. I seemed to drive the ball really well,' said MacIntyre. But Spaun drove the green at the par-four 17th, missed an 18-foot eagle putt but sank a comeback birdie putt from just over three feet to seize the lead for good. Rahm, Scheffler seventh Spain's Jon Rahm birdied the last three holes to shoot 67 and finish on 284, sharing seventh with Burns and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler. 'Two keys: Number one would be I kept it in play off the tee,' Rahm said. 'Then my lag putting. I had the speed really dialed in today.' Scheffler, who began the round eight strokes adrift of Burns, fired a 70. 'I felt like I did some good things out there,' Scheffler said. 'A few more putts drop today I think it's a little different story.' Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters in April, fired a 67 to finish on 287 and turned his thoughts to next month's British Open on home soil at Portrush. 'It will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters,' he said. 'It should be a really nice week.' — AFP
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
JJ Spaun's US Open win a tale of finding resilience and belief
New Delhi: American JJ Spaun's victory on Sunday at the US Open, the year's third golf major that is invariably played on brutal courses meant to push the game's elite to the limit, shines as a great underdog story and demonstrates what resilience can help achieve. The 34-year-old from California achieved a two-shot victory at Oakmont, arguably the world's most unforgiving course that caused further mayhem in the final round following rain – it led to a 90-minute stoppage. The soaked fairways, wind, thick roughs and deep bunkers demanded patience and character above skill. Spaun though hit arguably two of the greatest shots to win a major, the first driver off the tee to reach the green on the 309-yard, par-4 17th hole where he two-putted for birdie to take a decisive one-shot lead. And amid anxiety of what final havoc the steady drizzle could do with shot judgement, Spaun, needing only to two-putt on the last hole to win, produced a stunning 64 feet, five inch birdie, the longest putt made in the tournament. It sealed a two-shot win over Scotland's Robert MacIntyre. The conditions and his own putting even left world No.1 Scottie Scheffler humbled at tied 7th with Spanish former winner Jon Rahm, at four-over. Spaun, one shot off the lead overnight, was the only player to finish under-par for the tournament (1-under 279) after a final round two-over 72. Overnight leader Sam Burns (8-over 78) and Australia's Adam Scott, at 44 chasing a major after 12 years and in the final pairing (9-over 79) fell away. Having watched intently the line Norway's Viktor Hovland took for his putt from a similar lie before cashing in, an ecstatic Spaun jumped into the arms of his caddie before celebrating with his wife and two young daughters. The reward for winning the national championship was a $4.3 million cheque, the Jack Nicklaus gold medal, and a world ranking bump to No.8. 'I didn't look at the scoreboard,' said Spaun on staying in the moment. 'I didn't know if I had a two-shot lead. I didn't want to do anything dumb trying to protect a three-putt or something.' It was a final round of two parts for Spaun. One off overnight leader Sam Burns, Spaun was five over for the first six holes when heavy rain forced the long stoppage. His short game coach Josh Gregory and swing coach Josh Schriber gave him pep talk, boosted his confidence and focus. It worked like magic as Spaun went three-under in the last seven holes, sealed with two winning birdies, for a life-changing victory. 'It just felt like, as bad as things were going, I still tried to just commit to every shot. I tried to just continue to dig deep,' Spaun said. 'I've been doing it my whole life.' Forget the win, even the 2025 season may not have happened. Having turned pro in 2017, Spaun had struggled with a lack of belief in his own game. Despite his first PGA Tour win at the 2022 Texas Open, the mental blues meant he wanted to walk away whenever in contention. Late last year, with his PGA Tour ranking down to 119 – only the top 125 retained their card – Spaun even inquired if he could quit playing and join any club as a golf pro. The turning point came in March at The Players Championship, where he finished runner-up. He lost a three-hole playoff with Rory McIlroy after finding water on the iconic par-3 17th hole of Florida's TPC Sawgrass course, but it boosted his esteem. 'That made him believe 'I can be one of the best in the world'. That validated it and this will take him over the hump,' quoted Gregory as saying. There was also inspiration watching the 2004 film Wimbledon, a story of a tennis player's resurgence and Slam victory after nearly giving up playing. The PGA Tour recently produced another heartwarming story. US golfer Ben Griffin, 29, won last month's Charles Schwab Challenge – The Colonial is one of the five big-money invitational events – for his first individual title on the PGA Tour. A bright talent, Griffin left playing in 2021 after he lost the Korn Ferry Tour (feeder series) card, due to financial pressures and burnout. He worked as a mortgage loan officer before being persuaded to return to golf. He finished T10 on Sunday.
Observer
6 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Spaun wins first US Open major golf title
OAKMONT, United States: J J Spaun achieved his dream of winning his first major golf title by capturing the US Open. Doing it with a 65-foot birdie putt on the last hole was pure magic. Spaun birdied four of the last seven holes to win at Oakmont on Sunday, firing a two-over 72 to defeat Scotland's Robert MacIntyre by two strokes, clinching matters with his stunning putt at the 72nd hole. "Just to finish it off like that is just a dream," Spaun said. "You watch other people do it... you see crazy moments. To have my own moment like that at this championship, I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life. Spaun drove the par-four 17th green to set up the tap-in birdie that put him ahead to stay, joining a list of birdie-birdie finishers to win the US Open that includes Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson and Jon Rahm. "It's definitely like a storybook, fairytale ending, kind of underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting," Spaun said. "With the rain and everything and then the putt, you couldn't write a better story. I'm just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that." Spaun, whose only prior PGA Tour win was the 2022 Texas Open, was a runner-up at the Cognizant Classic and Players Championship this year, losing a playoff to second-ranked Rory McIlroy at the latter. "I just felt like you keep putting yourself in these positions, like eventually you're going to tick one off," Spaun said. Spaun made bogeys on five of the first six holes, including the first three, and birdied four of the last seven. "As bad as things were going, I just still tried to just commit to every shot," Spaun said. "I tried to just continue to dig deep. I've been doing it my whole life." Spaun has been resilient. In 2018 he was diagnosed with one type of diabetes but treatment was ineffective. In 2021, Spaun found he had been misdiagnosed and had another type of diabetes. On Sunday morning, he made an early trip for medicine. "My daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long," Spaun said. "Kind of a rough start to the morning. I'm not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos." A 96-minute storm delay was crucial, allowing Spaun to reset after his miserable start. "I just needed to reset everything, kind of like start the whole routine over," Spaun said. "I felt like I had a really good chance to win the US Open at the start of the day. It just unravelled very fast. "But that break was actually the key for me to winning this tournament." That and his monster 65-foot birdie putt at the final hole. "I was just in shock, disbelief that it went in and it was over," Spaun said. "I couldn't even believe what I witnessed when that went in." Neither could his playing partner, Norway's 14th-ranked Viktor Hovland, who settled for his best US Open finish at third on 282. "That was unbelievable," Hovland said. "After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately. Everyone came back to the pack. "And then the one on 18, it's just absolutely filthy there." — AFP
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
I'll never forget this moment, says US Open champion Spaun
J.J. Spaun achieved his dream of winning his first major golf title by capturing the US Open. Doing it with a 65-foot birdie putt on the last hole was pure magic. Spaun birdied four of the last seven holes to win at Oakmont on Sunday, firing a two-over 72 to defeat Scotland's Robert MacIntyre by two strokes, clinching matters with his stunning putt at the 72nd hole. "Just to finish it off like that is just a dream," Spaun said. "You watch other people do it... you see crazy moments. To have my own moment like that at this championship, I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life. Spaun drove the par-four 17th green to set up the tap-in birdie that put him ahead to stay, joining a list of birdie-birdie finishers to win the US Open that includes Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson and Jon Rahm. "It's definitely like a storybook, fairytale ending, kind of underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting," Spaun said. "With the rain and everything and then the putt, you couldn't write a better story. I'm just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that." Spaun, whose only prior PGA Tour win was the 2022 Texas Open, was a runner-up at the Cognizant Classic and Players Championship this year, losing a playoff to second-ranked Rory McIlroy at the latter. "I just felt like you keep putting yourself in these positions, like eventually you're going to tick one off," Spaun said. Spaun made bogeys on five of the first six holes, including the first three, and birdied four of the last seven. "As bad as things were going, I just still tried to just commit to every shot," Spaun said. "I tried to just continue to dig deep. I've been doing it my whole life." Spaun has been resilient. In 2018 he was diagnosed with one type of diabetes but treatment was ineffective. In 2021, Spaun found he had been misdiagnosed and had another type of diabetes. On Sunday morning, he made an early trip for medicine. "My daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long," Spaun said. "Kind of a rough start to the morning. I'm not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos." A 96-minute storm delay was crucial, allowing Spaun to reset after his miserable start. "I just needed to reset everything, kind of like start the whole routine over," Spaun said. "I felt like I had a really good chance to win the US Open at the start of the day. It just unravelled very fast. "But that break was actually the key for me to winning this tournament." That and his monster 65-foot birdie putt at the final hole. "I was just in shock, disbelief that it went in and it was over," Spaun said. "I couldn't even believe what I witnessed when that went in." Neither could his playing partner, Norway's 14th-ranked Viktor Hovland, who settled for his best US Open finish at third on 282. "That was unbelievable," Hovland said. "After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately. Everyone came back to the pack. "And then the one on 18, it's just absolutely filthy there."
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
JJ Spaun wins US Open: ‘Storybook, fairy tale ending'
Spaun was runner-up, following a playoff, to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship earlier this season. JJ Spaun of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the US Open. Picture:JJ Spaun achieved his dream of winning his first major golf title by capturing the US Open. Doing it with a 65-foot birdie putt on the last hole was pure magic. Spaun birdied four of the last seven holes to win at Oakmont on Sunday, firing a two-over 72 to defeat Scotland's Robert MacIntyre by two strokes, clinching matters with his stunning putt at the 72nd hole. 'Just to finish it off like that is just a dream,' Spaun said. 'You watch other people do it… you see crazy moments. To have my own moment like that at this championship, I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life.' Spaun drove the par-four 17th green to set up the tap-in birdie before his putt on 18, joining a list of birdie-birdie finishers to win the US Open that includes Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson and Jon Rahm. 'It's definitely like a storybook, fairy tale ending, kind of underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting,' Spaun said. 'With the rain and everything and then the putt, you couldn't write a better story. I'm just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that.' 'Dig deep' Spaun, whose only prior PGA Tour win was the 2022 Texas Open, was a runner-up at the Cognizant Classic and Players Championship this year, losing a playoff to second-ranked Rory McIlroy at the latter. 'I just felt like you keep putting yourself in these positions, like eventually you're going to tick one off,' Spaun said. Spaun made bogeys on five of the first six holes, including the first three, and birdied four of the last seven. 'As bad as things were going, I just still tried to just commit to every shot,' Spaun said. 'I tried to just continue to dig deep. I've been doing it my whole life.' Battles with health Spaun has been resilient. In 2018 he was diagnosed with one type of diabetes but treatment was ineffective. In 2021, Spaun found he had been misdiagnosed and had another type of diabetes. On Sunday morning, he made an early trip for medicine. 'My daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long,' Spaun said. 'Kind of a rough start to the morning. I'm not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos.' A 96-minute storm delay was crucial, allowing Spaun to reset after his miserable start. 'I just needed to reset everything, kind of like start the whole routine over,' Spaun said. 'I felt like I had a really good chance to win the US Open at the start of the day. It just unravelled very fast. 'But that break was actually the key for me to winning this tournament.' That and his monster 65-foot birdie putt at the final hole. 'I was just in shock, disbelief that it went in and it was over,' Spaun said. 'I couldn't even believe what I witnessed when that went in.' Neither could his playing partner, Norway's 14th-ranked Viktor Hovland, who settled for his best US Open finish at third on 282. 'That was unbelievable,' Hovland said. 'After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately. Everyone came back to the pack. 'And then the one on 18, it's just absolutely filthy there.'
