On a day littered with mistakes from the leaders, it was J.J. Spaun who showed remarkable composure to hole the putt which won him the US Open at Oakmont this past week.
Oakmont was a brutal test all week for the US Open, but it seemed to reach another level during the latter stages of the final round when the weather took a turn for the worse.
The rainfall made the Pennsylvania course play even longer, while the thick rough had the potential to be even more penal. And with that, it was no surprise to see the likes of Sam Burns, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton make costly mistakes down the stretch.
Spaun almost appeared to be playing a completely different course on the back nine.
Kevin Kisner asked whether J.J. Spaun’s putt at the US Open was a better moment than Tiger Woods’ in 2008
He made four birdies in his final seven holes, culminating in the 34-year-old making a three on the last thanks to a 64 foot putt. While there was one group still out on the course, it all but confirmed that Spaun was the champion.
And speaking on The Smylie Show, Kevin Kisner insisted that he would put Spaun’s putt ahead of the shot which earned Tiger Woods a place in the playoff with Rocco Mediate in 2008.
“Dude, it’s got to be at the top for me. To win your first major, the US Open, I don’t even know the exact footage of the putt, but it had to be over 60 feet, and it went in like a two-footer. It was perfect speed, dead middle. Just incredible to me. I saw another angle from the other side of the hole and I know you were talking it up about how hard the putt was, but it breaks a lot late. It was out there six feet left of the hole at one point, and I’m like how did he know this is going in. It would have gone in a thimble,” he said.
“As far as I’m concerned, Tiger’s was incredible. And we see that putt roll how many times and it’s bouncing all over the place and it goes in. But situationally, knowing what J.J. was trying to accomplish winning his first major championship, I think it’s probably top of the list.”
How Rocco Mediate reacted to Tiger Woods’ putt to take the 2008 US Open to a playoff
It is probably fair to say that Woods’ win in 2008 was the last major in which he had a real sense of invincibility about him – and it was arguably his most impressive achievement.
Woods played 91 holes with essentially a broken leg and emerged victorious, with that putt on the 72nd hole proving to be one of the most iconic of his entire career.
Mediate was asked about previously saying that he was hoping to play against Woods before ending up in a playoff, and he insisted that he had no doubt that he would make the putt when he needed to.
“Sometimes you got to be careful what you wish for, I guess. It was great. How much better can this get? No, I knew he would make that putt. That’s what he does. I was trying to beat him on my putt. My 35-footer. I just didn’t quite get it out there. But it’s going to be unbelievable. I can’t believe I’m even in this situation at all. It’s great,” he said.
It is the putt which arguably best summed up Woods’ will to win. It says so much that Spaun’s putt on Sunday is already being held in a similar regard.
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