Oh, what a week it has been! From seeing the greats of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler struggling to find form to a defending champion missing the cut, the U.S. Open concluded on Sunday to add a new name to the major championships winners’ circle. J.J. Spaun fought against Adam Scott, Robert MacIntyre, and Sam Burns to claim his first major victory. “I never thought I would be here holding this trophy. I’ve always had aspirations and dreams, but a few months ago I didn’t know what my ceiling was and how good I could be,” Spaun said. But what made the victory even sweeter was that it coincided with Father’s Day, and Spaun left no stone unturned to perform his fatherly duties diligently, even just a few hours before his round.
The final day at Oakmont was quite chaotic, given that the torrential rains had flooded the course and caused significant delays. Spaun, who started the week with a brilliant 66 on the first day, fell short on the second when he carded a score of 2-over par. While he tried to do his best on the third day, with a 69, it was only on the final few holes of the fourth round that he turned things around. He started the day seven off the lead and made five bogeys in the first 6 holes. But four birdies on the back nine, including a 64-foot birdie putt to win, earned him the title. But the win did not come as easy as it sounds.
Just a few hours before he teed off on Sunday, Spaun had to wake up at 3 am because one of his two daughters, Violet, had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night. So Spaun had to make a CVS run in the wee hours of dawn to make sure his daughter was given the right treatment immediately. “Today I was running to CVS in downtown because my daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long. I was just like, okay, my wife was up at 3:00 a.m., and she’s like, Violet is vomiting all over. She can’t keep anything down…,” Spaun told the media post his win.
And while he doesn’t blame the chaos start for his consecutive bogeys at the start, he did add that it was a rough start to the day—”It was kind of a rough start to the morning. I’m not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos. I don’t think I had any—I didn’t really—like when I go back home after the round, my kids are there, and it’s such a big distraction that I’m not even having to dwell on anything or think too much, which is a good thing.”
While players must receive as much rest as they can before every round, Spaun was clear about his priorities, and nothing comes before his family. And it is exactly this attitude of his that won hearts on the internet, and everyone has a new favourite major champion.
J.J. Spaun captured the hearts of many
One fan summed it up perfectly, that while Spaun’s victory is emotional enough since it’s his first, the chaotic day that he had makes the win even better. “Wow, this story makes it that much better! What a finish and fathers day for him!” implying that the victory could not have been any sweeter than experiencing a major title on Father’s Day. “A Father’s Day he will never forget. Good for him,” another cheered as Spaun will never forget this Father’s Day, and he proved that he’s just a regular dad who also happens to be a great golfer. The U.S. Open has a tradition that it ends every year on Father’s Day, making it even more special.
“Wow, I really am liking this guy,” another fan gushed, and honestly, who isn’t? It was not just Spaun’s turnaround victory on the last day that had our jaws dropping, but also his clutch moments that he displayed on the last stretch of holes. Spaun was outside the top 10 when he entered the final day, and his grit and determination despite the chaotic start proved he deserved to be the winner.
Others too joined in and expressed their genuine opinions on the whole ordeal. “What a great Dad!!! He deserves the win,” indicating that Spaun not only has the great s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s to take on a difficult course like Oakmont, but also has the qualities he needs to be a good father. “Happy Father’s Day JJ. The definition of being a father right there,” someone posted, suggesting Spaun’s experience spoke volumes of his true character and caring nature. He might be a beast on the golf course and drive the ball 300 yards, but when it comes to his family, Spaun knows he needs to bring out his compassionate side.
