At Oakmont Country Club, the U.S. Open, the third major championship of the season, saw an unexpected champion emerge: J.J. Spaun. He clinched a thrilling victory on Sunday, making back-to-back birdies on the final two holes. Spaun was the only golfer to finish under par, scoring 1-under 279. He was the sole survivor amidst the treacherous conditions exacerbated by rain and wind at Oakmont.
Looking ahead, the final major championship of the season, The Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, is scheduled for July 17-20, approximately a month from now. This surprising win prompts several questions: Who are the potential favorites for The Open? Can Spaun build on this unexpected triumph? And how are the Ryder Cup teams beginning to take shape?
What to Expect from J.J. Spaun for the Rest of the Season?
Mark Schlabach recalls that just last season, Spaun was close to losing his PGA Tour card, missing 10 out of 15 cuts and dropping to 169th in the world rankings. Spaun shared his mindset from that time:
“Last year in June I was looking like I was going to lose my job, and that was when I had that moment where, `If this is how I go out, I might as well go down swinging.`”
He managed to turn his performance around later that summer and has been playing some of his career-best golf this year. This includes a tie for second place at the Cognizant Classic and a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship. He had been consistently close to a second career win and finally achieved it on one of the world`s most demanding courses.
Spaun attributes his success to perseverance, stating:
“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. I`ve done this before. I`ve had slumps kind of at every level. I`ve always kind of, I went back and said, `You`ve done this before. You`ve been down before. You got out of it.` There`s kind of like a little pattern, so hopefully I don`t do that pattern again.”
His fellow competitors were not entirely surprised by his U.S. Open win, which speaks volumes. While not a household name to casual fans, Spaun is considered one of the best ball-strikers globally. His success at Oakmont was significantly aided by a hot putter throughout the four days.
Paolo Uggetti argues that Spaun`s U.S. Open victory should not be seen as a fluke but rather a testament to his development as a player. His coach, Josh Gregory, explained after the final round that despite having earned $17 million in his career, Spaun was not content with being a `middling` PGA Tour player and instead aspired to be `elite`.
“It`d be very easy to settle and say what I`m doing works,” Gregory said. “To his credit, he said `I need to be better.`”
According to Gregory, this ambition led Spaun to focus on improving his putting and chipping. His performance this week validated the work he`s put in, suggesting that when his exceptional iron play positions him well, he can now rely on converting chances on the green. While contending at the Open Championship might be ambitious given his lack of experience in that major, Uggetti anticipates Spaun being a strong contender in several upcoming PGA Tour events, potentially including the Tour Championship.
Ryder Cup Picture After the Year`s First Three Majors
Mark Schlabach observed U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley at Oakmont, noting that Spaun`s victory has virtually guaranteed his spot on the team, placing him third in the current points standings. He is currently behind only world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winner Xander Schauffele. Bryson DeChambeau (fourth), Justin Thomas (fifth), and Collin Morikawa (sixth) are considered probable locks for the team.
Beyond Spaun`s win, Russell Henley (seventh) and Ben Griffin (eighth) made significant progress in the Ryder Cup standings with their tie for 10th place finish at Oakmont. The top six players in the standings after the BMW Championship on August 17th will automatically qualify, with Captain Bradley selecting the remaining six players.
Paolo Uggetti suggests that European captain Luke Donald would have been pleased to see Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, and even Jon Rahm perform well, all finishing inside the top 10. These players are highly likely to be part of the European team at Bethpage, even if Rahm and Hovland are currently outside the top six in the European rankings.
A notable riser is Robert MacIntyre, who climbed to fourth in the European Ryder Cup standings thanks to his runner-up finish at Oakmont – his best performance in a major championship. MacIntyre was reportedly the final pick for the team in Rome two years ago but proved his worth with a strong 2-0-1 record. His four top-10 finishes this season, culminating in the Oakmont result, significantly bolster his chances of returning to the team in September.
Early Thoughts on The Open Championship?
Mark Schlabach identifies Scottie Scheffler as a leading contender for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Despite struggling with his swing and putting for much of the week at Oakmont, Scheffler still managed a tie for seventh place. Schlabach notes that even when not performing optimally, Scheffler remains better than most, placing the three-time major winner at the top of the list of potential favorites.
Scheffler reflected positively on his performance, stating:
“My main takeaway is I battled as hard as I did this week… I did a lot of things out there that could really kind of break a week, and I never really got that one good break that kind of propels you… seemingly every time I did, I was punished pretty severely for it.”
Shane Lowry, who lifted the Claret Jug the last time The Open was held in Northern Ireland in 2019, is also expected to be among the favorites, despite a disappointing missed cut at Oakmont. Rory McIlroy will be seeking redemption at Royal Portrush after missing the cut there five years ago. Although his driver was still inconsistent at Oakmont, he finished with a strong 3-under 67, gaining some momentum. Schlabach predicts McIlroy will get his mind and game in the right place before the tournament.
McIlroy commented on his motivation:
“Look, if I can`t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don`t know what can motivate me… Hopefully feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, will get me in the right place again.”
Paolo Uggetti points to defending champion Xander Schauffele, who quietly finished inside the top 12 at Oakmont with an under-par final round. Schauffele`s game is steadily improving after an early-season rib injury, reflected in his five top-15 finishes in his last seven starts.
Schauffele spoke about the difficulty of recovering from his first injury:
“I`ve never been hurt before… My expectations of what I knew I could do to where I was were very different, and accepting that was tough. I think that was sort of the biggest wake-up call for me coming back.”
Uggetti believes Schauffele is close to being fully back in form, just in time for The Open, the second major he won last season. His victory at Troon last year demonstrated his capability to excel on links courses under typical Open conditions. Portrush will present similar challenges, and Schauffele will benefit from the confidence gained from his previous Open success.
Besides Spaun, Who Were the Biggest Winners at Oakmont?
Mark Schlabach identifies Viktor Hovland, who finished third at 2 over, as a significant `winner`. Despite Hovland`s perception that his swing was problematic for much of the season, he managed to contend. Schlabach speculates that Hovland`s intense pursuit of perfection might prevent him from reaching the absolute elite tier of golfers globally, but his immense talent is undeniable, suggesting he has the capability to win multiple majors.
Hovland found positives in his performance, stating:
“I keep progressing in the right direction, and to have a chance to win a major championship without my best stuff and not feeling very comfortable, it`s super cool. So I`m going to take a lot of positives with me this week.”
Schlabach also mentions Adam Scott, 44, who was in contention until the conditions worsened on the back nine Sunday, leading to a final round 79. Schlabach had previously thought Scott`s days of contending in majors were over but feels this performance indicates he might still have the ability to compete at this level.
Paolo Uggetti returns to Robert MacIntyre, emphasizing his comfort in Sunday`s chaotic conditions. MacIntyre played the back nine at Oakmont bogey-free in 2-under par, briefly taking the clubhouse lead that nearly forced a playoff with Spaun. His putting was exceptional all week, ranking fourth in strokes gained: putting.
MacIntyre shared his mindset:
“I`m just a guy who believes. Today was a day that I said to myself, `Why not? Why not it be me today?`”
He was nearly right with his prediction of an even par winning score. Cameras captured a moment of genuine sportsmanship when Spaun sank the winning putt; MacIntyre in the scoring room gave a hearty clap and an earnest `Wow.` He summed up the week by saying it was “what I`ve dreamed of as a kid, sitting back home watching all the majors. Yeah, it feels unbelievable.”
