In a story that seems too wild for even the most imaginative Hollywood script, JJ Spaun pulled off one of the most improbable victories in U.S. Open history last Sunday, capturing his first major title at a rain-soaked, punishing test of golf. Spaun’s one-under-par (-1) final score defied not only the brutal conditions of a course that had players shaking their heads, but also a personal journey full of setbacks, sacrifice, and steely resilience.
After a sleepless night tending to his daughter, who was vomiting through the early hours, Spaun arrived at the course bleary-eyed and visibly drained. His fatigue showed early — he posted a front nine 40, a disaster by U.S. Open standards. Yet somehow, someway, Spaun clawed his way back. In fact, he made history — becoming the first U.S. Open champion ever to shoot 40 on one nine and still hoist the trophy. With an amazing flawless back nine of only 32 strokes. That is why we watch sports. For stories like this.
As the weather gods opened the skies over the course, turning fairways into trenches and greens into glass, Spaun found something in himself. Channelling a rhythm only he could feel amidst the chaos, he hit fairway after fairway with robotic precision. His long game, the cornerstone of his week, never faltered. In a tournament where just hitting the short grass was an achievement, Spaun was a metronome — fairway, green, fairway, green. But it was on the greens where he carved his name into history.
Over the final seven holes, Spaun holed an astonishing 136 feet of putts — a number that defies belief and gave this tournament its defining moments. The final stretch was a masterclass in nerve and feel. The drive he hit on the 17th showed nerves of steel, years of grit and determination to win his first major. It’s not just that Spaun won. It’s how he won. And how far he came to get here.
Only a few years ago, JJ Spaun wasn’t even sure he wanted to play golf anymore. Misdiagnosed with diabetes, his health deteriorated, and his game followed suit. He lost over 40 pounds during that stretch and eventually lost his PGA Tour card. The game he loved had turned on him, and for a time, he stepped away. But golf, like life, gives second chances.
Spaun clawed his way back through the Korn Ferry Tour, and on his 147th career start on the PGA Tour, he finally broke through — winning the Valero Texas Open in 2022. It was a moment of redemption, but few could have imagined it would be a stepping stone to this.
Even after a dramatic playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship earlier this year, Spaun was still seen as a gritty journeyman, not a major threat. He wasn’t in many analysts’ picks heading into this week — especially not on a course dubbed “hell” by more than one exhausted competitor, made nearly unplayable by relentless rain and high winds. And yet, when the skies finally calmed and the final putt dropped, it was JJ Spaun — not McIlroy, not Scheffler, not any of the headliners — who stood alone, soaking wet, exhausted, but victorious. To finish off holding that final putt on his final green, holding all of 64 feet with a huge left to right swinging break of several of feet was the icing on the cake. There weren’t too many spectators including Robert McIntyre who didn’t clap and feel joy for JJ on holding this monstrous putt.
“Golf has taken me through every emotion,” Spaun said in his tearful winner’s press conference. “To be here now, after everything — it’s unreal.” Unreal, indeed. A 40 on the front. A daughter sick at home. Weather from a nightmare. And still… a champion. In JJ Spaun’s story, we’re reminded of the beautiful chaos of sport. That greatness doesn’t always come from dominance — sometimes, it comes from survival.
