Widely regarded as the toughest test in golf, the US Open aims to test every aspect of a players game, including their psyche. This year Oakmont Country Club was the host venue for the 10th time in US Open history, and in the past it has proven to be one of the toughest venues. The 2025 US Open will go down as another stern test that produced a chaotic back nine and a thrilling finish.

As play began on Thursday, it was clear that anything around even par would be a very good score on the gruelingly difficult golf course. JJ Spaun was the only player in the field who managed to play the opening round bogey free, firing an ultra-impressive 66 to set the pace early. There were only 10 players under par after the opening round, and that number continued to dwindle as the days went on.

Spaun backed up his opening 66 with a 2nd round 72, falling back a couple shots. His spot at the top of the leaderboard was overtaken by Sam Burns, who bested Spaun’s opening round by one and shooting an even more impressive 65. Spaun and Burns continued to battle into the weekend, with both players able to shoot a 1-under 69 in the 3rd round. Meanwhile, 44-year-old veteran Adam Scott had played his way into contention after a third-round 67 sent him shooting up the leaderboard and into a tie for second.

In perfect US Open fashion, the conditions were most difficult in the final round. Weather became a factor – scattered rain showers even turned dangerous at one point, forcing a delay. Spaun got off to a brutal start, making five bogeys in the first six holes. Burns and Scott were in the best position after the front nine. However, chaos ensued on the back nine. Seemingly everyone with a chance to win struggled mightily down the stretch – besides Spaun. He slowly crept his way back into the tournament.

Spaun stood on the short par-4 17th hole at +1, which was tied with Scotsman Robert MacIntyre. The task was clear – play the final two holes in even par to force a playoff, or play them under par to win. He proceeded to hit the tee shot of his life on No. 17, racing it by the hole to just 15 feet for an eagle putt. He’d two-putt from there to take the solo lead at even par.

Somehow, he followed that up with a more impressive birdie. He striped his tee shot into the fairway, hitting his go-to baby fade. Then he safely hit his approach to the left side of the green, leaving a treacherous two-putt from 64 feet to win. After seeing the read from playing partner Viktor Hovland, Spaun stepped up and did the impossible – draining the long distance putt and sending the surrounding spectators into a frenzy. The dramatic putt dropped Spaun to -1 and gave him his first major win.

Winner's Bag | J.J. Spaun

Cleveland/Srixon staffer JJ Spaun claimed his first major title at the 125th U.S. Open Championship in dramatic fashion. He exuded a superb combination of steady play and mental toughness to survive the demanding test at Oakmont. 

All WITB information is courtesy of GolfWRX.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 6 X

Starting with the driver, Spaun plays the new Titleist GT3 Driver (9 degrees) with a Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 6x shaft. It’s the club he used to hit two of the best tee shots of his life on holes No. 17 and 18 on Sunday that set up the winning birdies.

Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees, 18 Degrees)

Shafts: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 70 TX (15 Degrees), Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80 TX (18 Degrees)

Spaun carries two fairway woods, both of which are Taylormade Qi10 (15 and 18 degrees) with Mitsubishi Diamana PD 70/80 TX shafts. These came in handy both off the tee and off the turf all week, especially with both par 5s playing well over 600 yards.

Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4) Srixon ZXi7 (5-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Like many players on tour, Spaun’s irons consist of two different models. His 4-iron is a Srixon ZXi5, while the 5-PW are the ZXi7. All of his irons contain the Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. The ZXi5 & ZXi7 combo iron set is one of the most popular among both tour and amateurs, and it allowed Spaun to hit several solid approach shots under pressure this week.

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50), Cleveland RTZ (54), Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore (60)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Unlike many players, Spaun plays three different model wedges. His gap wedge is the Cleveland RTX Zipcore (50 degrees), Cleveland RTZ sand wedge (54 degrees), and Cleveland RTX 6 Zipcore lob wedge (60 degrees). All of his wedges are played with the Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400.

His biggest weapon this week was the putter. He finished the week second in strokes gained putting walked off the tournament in dramatic fashion with a 64-foot birdie putt on the final hole to seal the victory. In addition to Spaun’s first major win, it also marks the first for a L.A.B. putter – and it certainly won’t be the last.