J.J. Spaun capped a hand-wringing 2025 U.S. Open in epic fashion with a putt of truly miraculous proportions. The 34-year-old American made a 64-foot, 5-inch putt on the 72nd hole of the tournament Sunday to clinch his first major championship and just the second PGA Tour win of his career.
Spaun led Robert MacIntyre by one stroke entering the final hole after a tremendous birdie on the 17th that saw him drive the green and two-putt. While that was arguably the most important hole of his national championship run, it will be lost in the ether to what Spaun produced on the 18th green. Not only was it a championship-clinching putt, it was the longest made by any player on any hole all week at Oakmont Country Club, the toughest course in the nation.
Spaun joins Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Jon Rahm as the only players to finish birdie-birdie to win the U.S. Open, some hallowed company for a player who entered the week with 120-1 odds to win, per DraftKings. Only Spaun and Hogan went birdie-birdie to win an Oakmont-hosted U.S. Open.
While Spaun led after 18 holes and maintained his contention across the middle two rounds, it appeared as if he had ejected as Sunday’s final trot began. He scored 5s on five straight holes to open the round and bogeyed five of the first six, shooting 40 on the front nine to fall several strokes off the pace. However, a rain delay allowed him to reset. After going 5 over on the front, Spaun regrouped to go out in 32 (-3), pouring in those two unforgettable birdies in the rain to clinch an unforgettable comeback and a $4.3 million winner’s share.
Check out the putt from every angle: