JJ Spaun transformed the wild chaos of the open at the wet and nasty Oakmont into something beautiful at the end of Sunday with two stunning shots that took him to his first major championship.
First, his driver came to the green on the 17th hole with 314 yards for a birdie that gave him the lead. To win for two putts from 65 feet on the 18th, he finished opening his storybook with holes all week at Oakmont for birdies and 2 over 72.
That made him the only player to finish on a par with 1 under 279. It gave him a two-shot victory to Scotland’s Robert McInteal.
And it created Spaun, a 36-year-old Californian who resembles the late Pittsburgh Steelers’ great Franco Harris, his second major champion of the US Open only.
“I didn’t think I would hold this trophy here,” said Spaun, who finished in the world’s number 119 last year. “I’ve always had a desire and a dream. I didn’t know what the ceiling was. I’m trying to be the best golfer I can.”
It was a disaster for many others.
Sam Burns took a two-shot lead on the 11th tees, made a double bogey from the divot on the first cut, and was wet from the fairway lies, so he thought he deserved relief. He shot 78.
Adam Scott was trying to become the first player to go between major titles for over 11 years, taking the lead on five holes. One of the best drivers is no longer able to find the fairway. He played them with a 5 and shot a 79.
“I missed the fairway. I wasn’t really doing it all week. Then I did and I paid the price and lost a lot of shots there,” Scott said.
Carlos Ortiz and Tyrrell Hutton also made the mistake of slashing with slushy lies and sacrificing their chances of survival.
The rain that he placed on the edge of not being able to play Oakmont may have saved Span.
One shot a day later, he opened with five bogeys on six holes in a horrifying break. There was nothing worse than watching him hit a second hole pin and spin onto the fairway. And then there was an hour or 37 minutes of rain delay.
“The delay in the weather changed the overall atmosphere that day,” Spawn said.
Surprisingly, he made only one bogey the rest of the way.
But yeah, the end.
McIntyre, 28, from Oban, has been strengthened in a Sinty match in Scotland, and has become a new target. He also struggled at the start and at one point he defeated nine shots. However, he birded on the 17th and split the fairway on the 18th to take the lead for Keeper, 68 and Clubhouse.
After three groups, Spaun delivered what appeared to be the winner. This is a powerful fade that rolls over the green like a putt and settles 18 feet behind the cup.
And the final putt – no one had a week longer. He was helped by Victor Hofland being on the same line and going first. Spaun smacked it on the soaked grass and saw thousands of rain-stained spectators erupt, walking to the left and breaking to the right towards the hole.
He raised both arms, threw a putter and jumped into Caddy Mark Karen’s arm.
The celebration was brought to those who lost the battle.
McIntyre approached becoming Scotland’s first major champion since Paul Raleigh in 1999, scoring and applauding in front of the television.
Hutton was talking to reporters and took a bad break on the 17th to end his chances of winning. He saw Spawn’s putt, which brightened his mood.
“Incredible. What a putt to win. That’s incredible,” he said. “I’m sad to see how it ended, but I’m very happy that JJ will win a major in that fashion.”
Hovland, who shot 73 and finished third, saw it all. The final putt, Bogeys at the start.
“After his start, he seemed to have quickly fallen out of it,” Hofland said. “Everyone is back in the pack. I wasn’t really expecting it. I thought I had to shoot a 3-under par today to have a good chance, but obviously the conditions were really, really tough, and this golf course is just a beast.”
Hatton (72) and Ortiz (73) are fourth tied with some of Liv Golf in a serious major battle for the first time along with Cameron Young (70). Ortiz’s comfort will be Master next year.
Scotty Schaeffler, who shot 10 early in the final round, somehow was part of the conversation on the back nine. However, he missed too many birdie opportunities even with three putts from a 12-foot hole. The world’s number one finishes in 70, finishing seventh with John Larm (67) and his best friend Burns, who feels a stab wound.
He had a double bogey by making Green fall into a bad lie on the slopes of the bunker. He missed a 6-foot birdie putt to grab control. And when he confused the 15th due to another double bogey.
Through all of that, Spaun emerged as the US Open Champion. We rarely saw anyone coming.
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