In a week where many of the heavyweights were unable to put themselves in contention, it was J.J. Spaun who got across the line and won the US Open at Oakmont to secure his first major title.
Sunday was quite the day for J.J. Spaun. He was very much in the mix before his final round got going. However, five bogeys in his first six holes seemed to put paid to his chances of victory at Oakmont.
But the change in the conditions seemed to change everything for the 34-year-old. He made four birdies in his final seven holes to end up as the only player under par for the US Open. Few will forget the magical putt Spaun made on the 18th hole to confirm his title.
Spaun has had some close calls this year, most notably losing out at The Players Championship in a playoff with Rory McIlroy. So it is quite the statement that he was able to get across the line on one of the biggest stages in the sport.
Scottie Scheffler reacts to J.J. Spaun winning the US Open ahead of the Travelers Championship
Of course, someone who knows what it takes to win the majors is Scottie Scheffler. The world number one ended up in a tie for seventh at the US Open, having won the PGA Championship the previous month.
And ahead of the Travelers Championship, Scheffler outlined how Spaun can expect his life to change now that he is a major champion.
“I think after winning a major championship, like the first time you come back out to the course is a bit of a circus sometimes just with all the people. J.J. just achieved kind of a lifetime goal and dream of his. It’s definitely different coming to the golf course for sure. There’s a lot more people, a lot more stuff to sign, a lot of stuff that goes on,” he said.
“I think I saw J.J. took a little trip to New York too, so he’s probably going to come in and be a little bit winded. He earned it. He has every right to go there and do that.
“I just think it will be a bit of a different experience for him. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on. It’s all good things. It’s all stuff that’s fun. He’ll certainly be sitting here in the interview room a lot more than he has in the past.
“Having that experience under your belt of winning the tournament, that’s the most pressure he’s felt in his entire career, and he stepped up and made amazing shots down the stretch, birdieing 17 and 18. Having that confidence and experience going forward is going to serve him really well, not only knowing he can perform under the biggest pressure, but now he knows exactly what it feels like. When he can go practice at home, now you’re preparing knowing exactly how you feel in those scenarios.
“That was one of the biggest things I learned after the Ryder Cup was having that experience and knowing what it feels like under pressure and then have the ability to go home and prepare for that.”
Scottie Scheffler discusses J.J. Spaun’s performance at Oakmont
There was definitely a moment on Sunday where it appeared that Scheffler was not out of contention to win. That is despite the 28-year-old not managing to break par all week in Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately for Scheffler, his putter could hardly have been colder and he failed to take some fantastic opportunities he gave himself.
Spaun’s outstanding finish took it out of his hands anyway. And Scheffler explained what he made of his countryman’s display down the stretch.
“The conditions on Sunday got really challenging. J.J.’s had a very, very solid year. He almost won The Players Championship. He’s had a lot of good starts. He’s played some pretty consistent golf,” he added.
“To be honest, I didn’t really get to watch anything on Sunday. By the time I finished up, I was getting in the shower and trying to pack up all our stuff and baby stuff, so I wasn’t able to watch too much.
“I did see some highlights after. He almost holed it on 17 off the tee, and he stepped up when he needed to and finished off the golf tournament. The way the conditions were on Sunday, it was so challenging, and guys were just falling back on the leaderboard. We were kind of watching it thinking maybe I could even sneak in there and post a number. By the time we finished, it was very obvious I wasn’t going to win. We were looking at the leaderboard again and being like, someone is going to go out and win this, and we’ll see who it is. J.J. went out and birdied 17 and 18 and won the tournament.
“That’s what you’ve got to do to finish off major championships and tournaments out here. It’s not easy to win. You’ve got to hit the right shots at the right time. Sometimes you get a little bit of luck too. For J.J. to step up and birdie 17 and 18 in those conditions to win the tournament is pretty special.”
Spaun, of course, should hardly be struggling for motivation despite his victory. He is now up to third in the Ryder Cup qualification standings.
A few more good performances and that automatic qualification spot will surely be his.
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