OAKMONT, Pa. — Oakmont didn`t need this added challenge. It certainly didn`t need a severe storm to humble the world`s top golfers and make the toughest course in the sport even more difficult. So when it arrived on Sunday, the torrential rain turning vast stretches of grass into shallow ponds, it felt like twisting the knife for those competing for a major championship.
Play was halted at 4:01 p.m. The 18th green was submerged and looked nothing like a putting surface. Players were brought off the course. During the delay, some ate, others called family. Robert MacIntyre took off his shirt and attempted to dry it with an air conditioning unit. Fans huddled under umbrellas or sought cover on the 191 acres that notably feature just one tree.
Soon after, Oakmont`s grounds crew appeared, armed with squeegees, trying to clear water from the playing areas. The rain eventually eased, and at 5:40 p.m., when play resumed, the leaders quickly realized the course they`d left was fundamentally changed.
“Once the fairways were soaked, it was very hard controlling the golf ball,” Adam Scott commented. “It was borderline unplayable. But everyone had to deal with it.”
Despite the squeegeeing, the fairways were far from dry. Balls landing off the tee would stop dead or even roll backward. Contact with any club – iron, wedge, or fairway wood – produced a splash. Even Scottie Scheffler wasn`t sure where the ball would go after impact. The course, already known for its demanding setup, became an even sterner test of patience and mental resilience.
“It`s not enjoyable waiting for squeegeeing, and there`s really not much rhythm to be found out there,” said Cameron Young, who finished fourth. “There are wet spots. You just have to guess. There`s not a lot you can do. You`re waiting for them to squeegee, but while it`s still raining, the water collects so quickly. You`re kind of trying to smack it through puddles and see what you get.”
“It`s Sunday of the U.S. Open, one of the hardest setups, and the conditions were the toughest of the week,” Scott added. “Thank God it wasn`t like this all week.”
For a few holes after the delay, the sun peeked through the clouds, teasing the competitors. But by the time the final group reached the 10th hole, the rain had returned. The tournament became less about who could make a charge and more about who could simply survive. Even Justin Thomas, who missed the cut, commented from home on social media that the course was “a little questionable to play.”
“It was a little close [to unplayable], but it was doable,” Viktor Hovland stated. “The conditions became really, really tough, and this golf course is just a beast. It was a grind.”
While other players struggled to regain their momentum after the stoppage, the difficult conditions and the “grind” were precisely what J.J. Spaun needed to emerge as one of the most unexpected major champions in recent memory.
“I tried to just continue to dig deep,” Spaun said. “I`ve been doing it my whole life.”
He began the day just one shot behind the leader, but potential quickly dissolved into disappointment. He bogeyed five of his first six holes. On the second, his ball struck the flagstick and rolled off the green. On the third, his tee shot bounced into a difficult lie in the rough. By the turn, his scorecard showed 40. He was three shots back, and it felt increasingly unlikely to be his day. Then, the rain arrived.
“The best thing that happened was the reset,” his coach, Josh Gregory, observed.
“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,” Spaun admitted. “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 Sunday, he was never “groomed” to be a professional golfer, nor was he expected to win a major. He secured his first PGA Tour victory at age 31 and, until this year, was considered one of many journeymen whose primary goal was retaining their tour card.
This year, however, Spaun has made a significant leap. Heading into the week, he was ranked 15th in the world and gained notable attention when he lost to Rory McIlroy in a playoff 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 contender. I can win a major championship.`”
Having recently faced disappointment head-on, Spaun seemed unfazed by bad breaks and the deteriorating weather conditions on Sunday. On a day that demanded more than just sheer talent, Spaun knew where to find the necessary resolve.
“I think it`s just perseverance,” Spaun reflected. “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 approached the closing holes, the rain intensified once more. The wind whipped the precipitation from west to east, presenting Spaun with one final formidable challenge: Oakmont`s 18th hole during another downpour.
Nine years prior, Dustin Johnson stood on that identical tee box, aiming to seal his first major title, and played the hole flawlessly. A solid drive, an approach to the green, and a short birdie putt later, he had conquered Oakmont.
On Sunday, Spaun split the fairway. He found the green and then, sheltered by an umbrella held by his caddie, he meticulously read the 64-foot putt. All he required was a par to secure his first major championship.
Throughout the week, players speculated that an even-par total for the tournament might be enough to claim the trophy. Spaun was on the verge of achieving that. But as Oakmont showered its competitors with one last draining test, Spaun responded with boldness.
“I didn`t want to play defensive,” Spaun stated.
The putt began its roll across the famously undulating green that has vexed countless players throughout its 124-year history, breaking left-to-right toward the iconic Sunday pin position. It found the center of the cup. A birdie.
“Are you serious?” his caddie, Mark Carens, exclaimed as they walked towards the clubhouse. “What the f— just happened?”
Spaun wasn`t just the last man standing; he was the only one who finished under par. The lone red number next to his name will be remembered. For Spaun, it stands as proof of many things: his skill, his resilience, and how he fought through everything the course, the weather, and his own mind presented over 72 holes.
“He`s an overachiever, a grinder,” Gregory affirmed. “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 bittersweet. The course didn`t produce the over-par champion its membership perhaps desired, but across 72 holes, including 18 grueling ones on Sunday, it once again delivered the golf world a truly deserving winner.