JJ Spaun has revealed the Tiger Woods story that inspired him to his surprise US Open win as he overcame a big deficit midway through the final round to take glory at Oakmont.
Spaun entered Sunday in the penultimate group, playing alongside Viktor Hovland, and just one stroke behind leader Sam Burns. However, the American suffered a nightmare start, making five bogeys in the first six holes to fall four shots behind Burns at the turn and seemingly out of contention.
A slice of huge misfortune on the second hole summed up his early struggles as his approach shot clanged off the flagstick and rolled completely off the green, ending up 50 yards away from the hole.
His five-over front nine of 40 left him four shots back when the rain came down at Oakmont forcing the players off the course and a delay of around 1hr 40mins. But the 34-year-old then rallied spectacularly with birdies at 12, 14, 17 and then 18 to snatch a two-shot triumph from Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre for his first major crown.
And Spaun explained how some second-hand advice from golfing legend Woods helped him maintain his composure and get over the line.
“I was having lunch with [fellow golf professional] Max Homa at home,” said Spaun in his post-round press conference. “We live in the same area. We belong at the same club.
“He was telling a Tiger story where he was like ‘as long as you are still there, you don’t have to do anything crazy, especially at a US Open’. Tiger said ‘this will happen, the wind will switch but you’ve just got to stay there. Even if you’re four back, you’ve just got to stay there. You don’t have to do anything crazy.
“I kind of was thinking about that out there this afternoon. Where I was four back, maybe going back out after the delay, and then I made some good pars, nothing crazy. Got a really good birdie. Then, next thing you know, I’m like tied for the lead, I think, and within four holes of the restart.
“I was going back to that. Just try to stay there, you don’t have to do anything crazy, especially at a US Open. So all those things came true.”
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Having steadied the ship with pars on every hole from seven through to 11, Spaun was catapulted into the co-lead shortly after his birdie at 12 and then led on his own when he found a three at the par-four 14th.
Although a bogey caused by an errant tee shot at the following hole dropped him back into a share, he crunched a clutch drive on to the green at the par-four 17th and two-putted for a birdie that took him to Evens for the championship and put him one shot ahead of MacIntyre, who finished his round at +1.
That meant Spaun only needed a par at the last to lift the trophy and piped a drive down the 18th fairway before safely finding the green with his second shot. That left him 65 feet from the hole, with two putts to seal victory, but instead he drained the lengthy putt for a closing birdie and emotionally celebrated with his caddie Mark Carens.
“It’s definitely like a storybook, fairytale ending, kind of underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting,” said Spaun of his triumph. “With the rain and everything and then the putt, you couldn’t write a better story. I’m just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that.
“Just to finish it off like that is just a dream. You watch other people do it. You see the Tiger chip, you see Nick Taylor’s putt, you see crazy moments. To have my own moment like that at this championship, I’ll never forget this moment for the rest of my life.”
