J.J. Spaun’s career took a pivotal turn with his dramatic victory at the U.S. Open. Despite a tough start with five bogeys in the first six holes, Spaun rallied after a lengthy rain delay, showcasing remarkable resilience. His shift in mindset over the past year, prioritizing perspective over pressure, enabled him to play freely. Ultimately, a birdie on the 18th hole secured his win, marking a significant milestone in Spaun’s career.
By the Numbers:
- Spaun’s first six holes included five bogeys, leading to a front-nine score of 40.
- Following the rain delay, he managed to shoot a birdie on hole 12 and finished the tournament with 1-under-par.
State of Play
- Spaun faced immense pressure early in the championship with many fans witnessing his struggle.
- The rain delay allowed him to regroup, influencing his turnaround during the final round.
What’s Next
Following his victory, Spaun’s newfound freedom from pressure suggests potential for continued success. He may focus on maintaining this mindset as he enters future tournaments, aiming for a consistent performance on the PGA Tour.Bottom Line
Spaun’s journey emphasizes the importance of mindset in sports—letting go of pressure can lead to breakthrough moments. His U.S. Open win not only highlights his talent but also serves as a reminder that resilience and perspective can transform a player’s career.
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JJ Spain US Open Highlights – Search
These highlights capture the essence of J.J. Spaun’s remarkable performance at the 2025 U.S. Open, showcasing his skill and determination in overcoming challenges to claim his first major championship.
- Final Round Highlights: J.J. Spaun’s final round at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he delivered when it mattered most.1
- Dramatic Winning Moment: Watch J.J. Spaun’s winning moment and relive his entire 18th hole as he captured the 2025 U.S. Open Championship!2
- 64-Foot Birdie Putt: In the final round, J.J. Spaun sinks a 64-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole to secure his victory.3
- Winning Celebration: J.J. Spaun weathered the elements at Oakmont Country Club with a final-round 2-over 72 to win the 125th U.S. Open and claim his first career major championship.4
- Best Moments: Check out the most exciting moments from the final round of the U.S. Open from Oakmont, highlighted by champion J.J. Spaun.5
- First Major Championship: J.J. Spaun managed the rain and tough course at the challenging Oakmont Country Club to win the 2025 U.S. Open, the first major victory for the California-native.6
J.J. Spaun plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament.© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun’s health issues posed greater threat than Oakmont
Story by Adam Schupak, Golfweek
As soon as J.J. Spaun won the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont on Sunday, Andy Bessette fired off an email to Spaun to congratulate him.
“For a man with Type 1 diabetes to win the U.S. Open with four days of pressure – pressure is the enemy of Type I diabetes – I said with your burden there is nothing more amazing than you winning the U.S. Open,” said Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Travelers and a hammer thrower on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team. “To me, it’s one of the greatest accomplishments in sports given the burden he lives with.”
In the fall of 2018, Spaun was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
“I wasn’t feeling great, so I knew something was up,” he said Wednesday during his press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.
The 34-year-old started taking medicine for Type 2 but still felt lethargic, kept losing weight and, most concerning, losing distance. By mid-2021 his ranking dipped to No. 584 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Before COVID canceled the 2020 Players Championship, Bessette was chatting with pro Harold Varner III, who expressed his concern that his pal Spaun was struggling with diabetes.
Bessette’s son, Chris, had been diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age 18, and Bessette was familiar with the disease – the beta cells in the pancreas stop working and produce zero insulin. Spaun goes into insulin shock if he doesn’t control his insulin levels. Varner called Spaun via FaceTime to connect him with Bessette, who listened to his list of symptoms.
“I said, ‘Are you sure you have Type 2?’
You should get yourself checked by a good endocrinologist to make sure,” Bessette recalled advising. He made some calls on Spaun’s behalf to the CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (since renamed Breakthrough T1D), which funds research for the development of new therapies and treatments for type 1 diabetes. Spaun eventually discovered he was misdiagnosed.
“I just was kind of going through the whole learning experience of what diabetes is and how to treat it and how to approach this disease,” Spaun said.
He has been approved by the Tour to wear a Libre blood-sugar monitor and check his levels while competing. If his blood sugar is low, he can faint. If it gets too high, his vision starts to blur.
Later that year at the Travelers Championship, Spaun wedged to 19 inches in a closest-to-the-pin contest at the red floating umbrella in the middle of a lake dubbed hole No. 15 ½ at TPC River Highlands. As the winner, Spaun could donate $10,000 to the charity of his choice. He chose JDRF. Bessette was touched by Spaun’s gesture and personally matched the donation.
“So that initiated our connection,” Spaun said. “He’s kind of been there for me the whole way, where if it was doctors I needed to get in touch with or CEOs of JDRF, it’s been nice to have that connection and his network to kind of help me along this journey because I had just been diagnosed with it, but diagnosed incorrectly. Even when I got my diagnosis corrected, I guess, it was even more so helpful to have JDRF and Andy on my side to kind of help me navigate another new territory.”
Bessette was moved again Sunday when Spaun achieved a career-defining moment at Oakmont – Type I Diabetes be damned. “It changed his life,” Bessette said of being diagnosed correctly. “It’s a brutal disease.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun’s health issues posed greater threat than Oakmont
What a one-handicap golfer shot around Oakmont the day after the US Open
Braden Newcomer of Golf Channel, a 0.6 handicap, got his chance to find out.
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images© HITC
On Monday, with the course still set up exactly as it had been for the final round, Newcomer played Oakmont from the back tees and walked off with a 23-over-par 93.
That number might raise eyebrows, but in the context of what Oakmont was dishing out, it’s more impressive than it looks on paper. Every small miss was magnified. Every mistake cost double the usual penalty.
For context, even a 10-handicap golfer would be given 21 shots at Oakmont, according to the USGA’s course handicap calculator. That number gives a sense of just how daunting the setup really is.
You can check how many strokes you’d get yourself using the USGA’s course handicap calculator. Newcomer’s experience proves what every pro learned the hard way: at Oakmont, nothing comes easy. And even for a scratch golfer, survival often feels like an accomplishment.
In a test of resilience, journeyman J.J. Spaun shows himself, world how good he can be – PGA TOUR
I’ve Had My Eye on J.J. Spaun For a While And He’s Got Oakmont’s Number