J.J. Spaun wins first career golf major
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Celebrate J.J. Spaun's victory in the U.S. Open -- with a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole -- with a USA TODAY commemorative page print
OAKMONT, Pa. – J.J. Spaun’s closing pursuit of major glory began at 3 a.m. Sunday in, of all places, a CVS in downtown Pittsburgh. Spaun’s almost 2-year-old daughter, Violet, had woken up with a stomach bug, and mere hours into Father’s Day, dad duty called.
The newly minted U.S. Open champion was essentially running on fumes before capturing the first major victory of his career Sunday.
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.
J.J. Spaun rallied back from a no good, very bad start to win the U.S. Open by two shots — which he partly credits to long-ago advice given by fellow golfer Tiger Woods.
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It's all big for champion J.J. Spaun, particularly the last one as Spaun was only recently worried about losing his livelihood. That's no longer a concern. Spaun, also The Players runner-up, has earned over $9.
The Californian overcame an exceedingly slow start Sunday to prevail at stormy Oakmont Country Club with some late-round drama.
Don’t need to make it, just cozy it up, two putts…how about one! In one of the most unlikely final round Sundays in U.S. Open history, J.J. Spaun closes the deal with a birdie at the last!” – Dan Hicks on Spaun’s 64-foot putt to win the U.
Oakmont was almost unplayable Sunday afternoon in the rain. But in the end, it was exactly what Spaun needed to become one of the unlikeliest U.S. Open champions.
Through it all, looming large and nasty and insurmountable, there was the golf course. Oakmont Country Club hosted its record 10th U.S. Open. As ever, it did not disappoint. This is the place that, in 1962,