J.J. Spaun‘s victory at the 2025 U.S. Open was the kind of comeback triumph forged through mental toughness and the wisdom of legends.
On Sunday at Oakmont Country Club, with a par needed to win and a daunting 64-foot putt standing between him and glory, Spaun calmly buried the putt of his life. The crowd erupted, but the moment was the culmination of lessons learned from Tiger Woods.
Just minutes earlier, Viktor Hovland had missed from nearly the same angle. But Spaun, known more for grinding through difficult stretches than delivering cinematic highlights, proved unshakable. He drained the long-range putt and, with it, etched his name into major championship history. His first major title. His first win on the biggest stage.
In the post-round press conference, Spaun reflected on the emotional and tactical journey that led him to that moment and how he kept his composure after a rough start and a challenging week.
“I just felt like you keep putting yourself in these positions, like eventually you’re going to tick one off,” Spaun told reporters. “This isn’t – I don’t put myself in this position often, or at all, for a major, that’s for sure. This is only my second U.S. Open. But all the close calls that I’ve had on the PGA TOUR this year has just been really good experience to just never, never give up.”
Spaun’s season leading up to Oakmont was a tale of almosts including a third-place finish at the Sony Open, a runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic, and perhaps most heartbreakingly, a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS Championship. Those moments were gut punches, but they turned into lessons. On Sunday, they became weapons.
Channeling Tiger Woods’ calm advice
At Oakmont, Spaun was five-over after six holes, including five bogeys on the front nine. It looked like his major hopes were evaporating, but Spaun kept a level head. Part of that was a mental note he had tucked away, courtesy of golf legend Tiger Woods.
Recounting a recent conversation over lunch with friend and fellow PGA pro Max Homa, Spaun shared what helped him reset his mind.
“We live in the same area. We belong at the same club,” Spaun said of Homa. “He was telling a Tiger story where he was like, ‘As long as you just like are still there, you don’t have to do anything crazy, especially at a U.S. Open. He’s like, Tiger said this would happen, and the wind will switch, but you’ve got to just stay there.'”
Spaun internalized that message. When play was delayed due to weather, he used the time to regroup. Upon return, everything shifted.
“I made some good pars, nothing crazy. Got a really good birdie. Then, next thing you know, I’m like tied for the lead… within four holes of the restart,” he said.
That four-shot swing came just as competitors like Sam Burns and Adam Scott began to unravel. Burns, who led most of the round, stumbled after the delay, carding six strokes to fall to +4. Scott, too, saw his score balloon to five-over. In the chaos, Spaun surged.
“Everything Tiger said came true,” Spaun noted with a grin. “You just try to like stay there. You don’t have to do anything crazy, especially at a U.S. Open.”
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