Full article

JJ Spaun, from hitting rock bottom to winning the US Open with a crazy putt

JJ Spaun's victory at Oakmont was not just a win, it was a story of redemption written with clubs, rain and a lot of determination. The 34-year-old American surprised the golfing world by winning the 2025 US Open, in an edition marked by mud, bogeys and an ending that no one expected. Because no one had him in their predictions. Because no one, not even himself, would have bet that it would all end like this: with a 21-metre putt that bounced into history.

Spaun is not your typical cover hero. He does not come from a career full of titles, nor does he have a movie-worthy resume. In fact, in 2018, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. What followed was a physical and emotional collapse: he lost 23 kilos, his PGA Tour card and almost his desire to continue playing. For a while, his presence in tournaments was almost symbolic. Dizziness, fatigue and blurred vision accompanied him more than birdies.

But he persevered. Little by little, he regained ground, and in 2022 he showed a small sign of life with a victory at the Valero Texas Open. Nothing that would suggest what would happen this Sunday at Oakmont.

The final day was a perfect reflection of his life: a difficult start, total chaos and resurrection. He started with five bogeys that took him out of contention. To make matters worse, rain interrupted the round for more than an hour and a half. When play resumed, the course was a different beast: slow greens, thick rough, water on the fairways. The kind of scenario where the US Open becomes a torment and only the most stubborn survive.

And Spaun, who was +5 on the day, found his calm amid the chaos. He finished with four birdies and a bogey, becoming the only player capable of beating the course. He ended up with a total of -1, a figure that at Oakmont is almost science fiction.

Meanwhile, the big names were falling by the wayside. Jon Rahm, who had been making a comeback, finished seventh with +4. Tyrrell Hatton made a key bogey on the 17th, with his usual gestures of despair. Sam Burns and Adam Scott were also unable to hold their nerve. And Robert MacIntyre, the left-handed Scot who carded a great round of 68, set the pace from the clubhouse at +1.

Then, the moment arrived. Spaun, with no serious experience in majors and only one victory on the circuit, reached the 18th hole with a remote chance. He hit a perfect wood that left the ball on the green, more than 20 metres from the hole. A tie would put him in the playoffs, a birdie would give him the victory. No one expected him to make it. Not even his caddie. But he did.

The ball rolled, turned, changed pace and went in. Just like that. An impossible putt, downhill, on one of the most feared greens in the world. Spaun collapsed, hugged his caddie, and suddenly, all the ghosts of the past were left behind.

It was a movie-like ending for a player who had already experienced his share of drama. Oakmont, one of the cruelest courses on the circuit, witnessed a sporting miracle. And Spaun, self-taught since childhood, who learned to play in his father's garage, now has his name in the history books of golf.