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Mark Schlabach
OAKMONT, Pa. — J.J. Spaun survived a horrible begin and difficult parts to tug away from the pack and seize his first main championship with a two-stroke victory within the a hundred and twenty fifth U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership on Sunday.
After birdieing the seventeenth gap to go forward by one stroke, Spaun made a 64½-foot birdie putt on the 18th to safe his unlikely victory and defeat Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre by two.
After Spaun’s lengthy putt fell within the cup, he dropped his putter, raised his arms, and gave the gang a fist pump. He hugged caddie Mark Carens and later embraced his spouse, Melody, and two younger daughters.
Spaun was the one golfer to complete underneath par at 1-under 279. He posted an even-par 70 on Sunday and went 3 underneath on the again 9. Spaun will accumulate $4.3 million for the largest payday of his profession.
MacIntyre, who was trying to change into the primary left-handed golfer to win the U.S. Open, completed 1-over 281.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland completed third at 2-over 282.
Spaun grabbed the outright lead at even par by reaching the inexperienced with a 309-yard drive on the brief par-4 seventeenth gap. His eagle strive from 18 ft slid previous the outlet, however he made a 3½-foot birdie putt for a one-stroke lead.
On the 18th gap, Spaun drove his tee shot down the appropriate aspect of the green. As he ready to hit his second shot, rain began to fall on the soaked course. Spaun hit his method to 64½ ft, organising the dramatic end.
Spaun began the day one stroke behind 54-hole chief Sam Burns, however trailed by as many as 4 after carding bogeys on 5 of his first six holes.
Spaun, 34, is the primary U.S. Open winner to begin his last spherical with three consecutive holes over par, in response to Elias Sports activities Bureau.
It was the largest second of Spaun’s profession. The Los Angeles native’s solely prior PGA Tour victory got here within the 2022 Valero Texas Open. Ranked twenty fifth within the Official World Golf Rating, Spaun has performed among the finest golf of his profession this 12 months.
It was a wild end to a last spherical at Oakmont Nation Membership that included a 96-minute climate delay and regular rain that made one of the demanding golf programs on this planet much more troublesome.
Six golfers had a minimum of a share of the lead within the last spherical, and at one level, 5 had been tied for first.
MacIntyre had an opportunity to succeed in even par however left a 33-foot birdie strive on No. 18 a few ft brief and settled for a 2-under 68 within the last spherical.