OAKMONT, Pa. — Oakmont, a course already renowned for its immense difficulty, faced an unwelcome adversary: a severe storm. The heavy rain that drenched the course on Sunday felt like an added challenge for the world`s best golfers competing for a major championship, making the toughest test in golf even more brutal.
Play was halted at 4:01 p.m. as sheets of rain turned fairways into streams and the 18th green into a shallow lake, rendering it unrecognizable. Players were taken off the course. During the interruption, some ate, others called their families. Robert MacIntyre humorously attempted to dry his shirt with an air conditioning unit. Fans clustered under umbrellas or sought the limited shelter offered by the course`s single tree across its 191 acres.
Shortly after, Oakmont`s ground staff emerged with squeegees, working diligently to clear water from the playing surfaces. The rain eventually subsided, and when play resumed at 5:40 p.m., the leaders quickly discovered the course was dramatically different from when they left it.
“Once the fairways were soaked, it was very hard controlling the golf ball,” remarked Adam Scott. “It was borderline unplayable. But everyone had to deal with it.”
Despite the efforts with squeegees, the fairways remained saturated. Balls landed off the tee and often stopped dead or even rolled backward. Contact with a club resulted in a noticeable splash. Even top players like Scottie Scheffler admitted difficulty predicting ball flight. The course, already a severe layout, became an even sterner examination of patience and mental fortitude.
Cameron Young, who finished fourth, described the challenging conditions: “It`s not fun waiting for squeegeeing, and there`s really not much rhythm to be had out there. There`s wet spots. You just have to guess. There`s not a ton you can do. You`re waiting for them to squeegee them, but while it`s still raining out there, the water is collecting so fast, you`re kind of trying to smack it through puddles and see what you get.”
Adam Scott added, “It`s Sunday of the U.S. Open, one of the hardest setups, and the conditions were the hardest of the week. Thank God it wasn`t like this all week.”
For a brief period after the delay, the sun appeared, offering a fleeting tease through the clouds. However, by the time the final pairing teed off on the 10th hole, the rain had returned. The competition transformed from who could excel to who could simply endure. Even Justin Thomas, who missed the cut, commented that playing conditions were “a little questionable.”
Viktor Hovland acknowledged the severe test, stating, “It was a little close [to unplayable], but it was doable. The conditions got really, really tough, and this golf course is just a beast. It was a grind.”
While many competitors struggled to find their rhythm after the delay, J.J. Spaun found that the demanding “grind” was precisely what he needed to become one of the most improbable major champions in recent memory.
“I tried to just continue to dig deep,” Spaun said, attributing his resilience to a lifelong trait. “I`ve been doing it my whole life.”
He began the day just one stroke behind the leader, but his potential quickly turned to frustration. He bogeyed five of the first six holes. On the second, his ball hit the flagstick and spun off the green; on the third, his tee shot landed in an unfavorable spot in the rough. By the turn, his scorecard read 40, leaving him three shots back and feeling that victory was unlikely. Then, the rain arrived.
“The best thing that happened was the reset,” commented Spaun`s coach, Josh Gregory.
Spaun himself reflected, “I felt like I had a chance, a really good chance to win the U.S. Open at the start of the day. It just unravelled very fast. But that break was actually the key for me to winning this tournament.”
Spaun`s career has been characterized by exceeding expectations. He was never a highly-touted prospect or destined for stardom. As he put it, he wasn`t “groomed” for professional golf nor anticipated winning a major. He claimed his first PGA Tour win at 31, and until this year, was often seen as a journeyman whose main objective was keeping his tour card.
However, in the current year, Spaun has significantly improved his standing. Heading into the week, he was ranked 15th globally and had drawn attention with a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship.
“He was right there,” Gregory noted. “I think that proved to him that, `Hey, I can do this. I can be one of the best in the world. I can be a rival. I can win a major championship.`”
Having recently experienced coming close and facing disappointment, Spaun appeared unfazed by Sunday`s unfortunate breaks and challenging weather. On a day demanding more than just technical skill, Spaun knew where to find the necessary resolve.
“I think it`s just perseverance,” Spaun commented. “I`ve always kind of battled through whatever it may be to kind of get to where I needed to be and get to what I wanted.”
As the final groups neared the finish, the rain intensified again. A brisk wind drove the precipitation, presenting Spaun with one last formidable challenge: Oakmont`s 18th hole under renewed heavy rain.
Nine years earlier, Dustin Johnson stood on that same tee, poised to secure his first major title. He played the hole perfectly: a drive to the fairway, an approach to the green, and a short birdie putt later, he had conquered Oakmont.
On this Sunday, Spaun also hit his drive straight down the fairway. He reached the green, and under the cover of his caddie`s umbrella, took his time to read the long, 64-foot putt. All he needed to claim his first major was a par.
Throughout the week, players speculated that a final score of even par might be enough to win the trophy. Spaun was on the verge of achieving that. But as Oakmont delivered one more exhausting test, Spaun chose to attack.
“I didn`t want to play defensive,” Spaun stated.
The putt began its journey across the notoriously undulating 18th green, a surface that has tormented players for over a century. It curved left to right, tracking directly towards the iconic Sunday pin position. It dropped into the hole, dead center. A birdie.
“Are you serious?” his caddie, Mark Carens, exclaimed in disbelief as they walked towards the clubhouse. “What the f— just happened?”
Spaun wasn`t just the last man standing; he was the only player to finish the tournament under par. The single red number next to his name will be a lasting testament.
For Spaun, this victory validates many things: his capability, his resilience, and his ability to battle through every challenge presented by the course, the weather, and his own mental game over 72 holes.
“He`s an overachiever, a grinder,” Gregory remarked. “That should validate to him that he`s one of the best players in the world.”
For Oakmont, the 1-under winning score might feel slightly ironic. While the course didn`t produce the over-par championship score its members perhaps desired, over 72 holes – and particularly the arduous 18 on Sunday – it once again proved effective in crowning a truly deserving champion for the golf world.
