In a rainy and wild day atop the leaderboard, JJ Spaun dealt with the elements to capture the US Open Title at Oakmont Country Club.
The win marks the first major championship in Spaun’s career and comes in just his second US Open attempt.
To start the day, former LSU Tiger Sam Burns began with a one-shot lead over Adam Scott and Spaun. Burns was steady in the early stages, maintaining his lead despite a couple of bogeys in his first five holes. The course conditions were difficult once again, meaning no one was charging up towards the top of the leaderboard.
As the leaders were preparing to head towards the back nine, the weather arrived. The rain became so significant that play had to be stopped.
When play resumed more than an hour later, the golfers tried to regain their rhythm, but the water on the course became yet another obstacle. Jon Rahm became the first to finish with a score near the top, shooting an impressive final round of -3 67 to post +4 overall. That number did not seem like enough, but all of a sudden the leaders came tumbling down.
Burns made double at the 11th and bogey at the 12th to fall from -2 to +1. Scott made bogey at the 11th. All of a sudden, there was a five-way tie atop the leaderboard at +1.
After an awful start that included five bogeys in his first six holes, Spaun seemed to use the rain delay as a reset. Two birdies, including one at #14, got him to even par and gave him the outright lead.
Lingering but charging late, former McNeese Cowboy Robert MacIntyre posted the next clubhouse lead. He birdied two of his final five holes and posted +1 for the tournament. With leaders dropping like flies, it seemed that may be good enough to win.
Spaun drove the green on the Par 4-17th hole, giving himself a chance to take the lead. He cleaned up his two-putt birdie and walked to the 18th tee knowing he likely needed just a par to win.
Rather than take the aforementioned two-putt, Spaun decided to do one better. He drained the longest putt any player had made all tournament long, making birdie at 18 to finish -1 and take home the victory.
