Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
JJ Spaun triumphs at US Open after wild Sunday finish
Darren Walton, AAP • June 16th, 2025 12:30 pm
JJ Spaun celebrates with the trophy after winning the US Open. | Photo: AP
American JJ Spaun has triumphed in one of the wildest US Open finishes in history, overcoming a shaky start to claim a two-shot victory over Scotland’s Robert McIntyre at Oakmont.
Runner-up in a play-off to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship in March, the unheralded Spaun once again showed his class and resilience with a Sunday comeback for the ages.
After starting the day level with Australian Adam Scott and just one shot behind American leader Sam Burns, Spaun dropped five strokes in the first six holes to fall five behind.
But he regrouped after a 96-minute weather delay to run down the leaders despite closing with a final-round 73 as the fearsome Oakmost Country Club reduced the world's best players to week-day hackers.
The 34-year-old sealed victory in the most stylish and spectacular fashion with a 64-foot birdie putt - the longest-holed putt of the week - at the last hole.
Spaun finished with a one-under-par 279 total to capture his maiden major championship, having never previously posted a top-20 finish at any of golf's four biggest events.
McIntyre's final-round 68 was enough to secure second outright, with Norwegian star Victor Hovland (73) third a further shot back at two over.
Playing in the final group, Scott faded with a final-round 79 to tie for 13th at six over.
JJ Spaun won his first major title in spectacular style. | Photo: AP
Bidding to become the oldest US Open champion since Hale Irwin in 1990, 44-year-old Scott faded to finish made a nervy start with a bogey on the first and third holes.
Such was the carnage that, despite dropping four shots for his round, Scott was still in a five-way tie for the lead after scrambling for par at the long 12th hole.
Alas, the Australian's hopes evaporated in a cruel half-hour after the resumption of play due to a flash storm.
From a share of the lead, he bogeyed the 14th after driving into the lip of a bunker.
Then, even more deflatingly, Scott almost drained a long putt to regain a share of the lead on 15, only for the ball to narrowly miss the pin and roll seven feet past.
He missed the return putt and there was no way back for the popular former world No.1.
Ryan Fox carded a solid one-under 69 in the final round, finishing the tournament at seven-over par and securing a tie for 23rd place. It was a steady performance that capped off a challenging week, as he climbed the leaderboard with one of the better rounds on a tough scoring day.
