JJ Spaun secured his first main championship win in model, sinking a sixty-four foot putt on the 72nd gap to win the 2025 U.S. Open title, in simply his second U.S. Open look, learn his full winners interview right here…
One you’ll always remember. The place did the continued perception come from?
J.J. SPAUN: It simply, it felt like, as dangerous as issues have been going, I simply nonetheless tried to simply commit to each shot. I attempted to simply proceed to dig deep. I’ve been doing it my entire life.
I feel that’s been the most important distinction this 12 months has been having the ability to do this. Luckily, I dug very deep on the again 9, and issues went my manner, and right here we’re with the trophy.
You labored for this your entire life. Nobody can ever take that away from you. The place did this dream begin, and the way do you set this second into phrases?
J.J. SPAUN: I grew up watching golf. I used to be a younger child, wished to play golf. I beloved golf. It was a ardour for me rising up. I at all times performed with my dad and mom rising up.
One factor led to a different. I wasn’t actually groomed to be an expert golfer. I didn’t get put by way of academies. I didn’t play the AJGA. I performed native stuff. I did qualify for, really, my first huge USGA occasion, which was the U.S. Junior. I did that two occasions after I was like 16 and 17.
That’s sort of after I realized my potential. I simply stored going, like one foot in entrance of the opposite. Junior golf, faculty golf, turning professional, and now right here I’m with the U.S. Open trophy.
Q. I’m questioning, in the course of the delay, as you have been strolling again out, I heard your coach say one thing like, Attempting too onerous. What was that sort of mindset that you simply went again out to play with?
J.J. SPAUN: Which one in every of my coaches? Josh Gregory perhaps?
Q. Yeah.
J.J. SPAUN: It was on the placing inexperienced?
Q. No, it was out on the vary.
J.J. SPAUN: Oh, it was on the vary. Yeah, it was sort of the theme for a way the day was going. They have been identical to, Dude, simply chill. In case you’re for — if you got 4 photographs again going into the again 9 on Monday, such as you would take that. They simply mentioned, Simply let it come to you, be calm. Cease attempting so onerous.
That’s what I used to be doing. I felt like I had an opportunity, a extremely good likelihood to win the U.S. Open at the beginning of the day. It simply unravelled very quick. However that break was really the important thing for me to successful this event.
Q. Can you’re taking us by way of the putt on 18? How a lot of a learn did you get from Viktor? After which do you know that, if that went in, that you’d be champion?
J.J. SPAUN: I didn’t have a look at the scoreboard. I knew primarily based off of like what the group was saying that I felt like, if I two-putted, I might in all probability win, however I didn’t need to look as a result of I wished to nonetheless — I didn’t need to play defensive. I didn’t know if I had a two-shot lead.
I didn’t need to do something dumb attempting to guard a three-putt or one thing.
Viktor helped me quite a bit. It was a foot left of my line. It’s fairly ironic, my first PGA TOUR win, nearly the identical factor occurred on the Valero, however Scott Stallings was in a bunker on the final gap, we have been in the identical group — the again left bunker — and I hit my third shot on the again fringe, and I needed to actually mark my ball for him to hit the bunker shot. He, identical factor, splashed it out, proper on my line, and identical to fed it right down to the opening. It was in all probability like a 40-footer.
After I was strolling as much as 18, I used to be fascinated by that second. I used to be like, Oh, my God, like that is meant to be right here, as a result of this is identical factor that occurred to me for my first win.
Yeah, Viktor, we sort of obtained an excellent line, an excellent learn on the pace. I used to be extra centered on how onerous he was hitting it. I sort of knew the road already, nevertheless it regarded like he gave it a fairly good whack as a result of it began raining there for the final 10, quarter-hour. I simply tried to select my line and put an excellent stroke on it. I knew it was going to be somewhat gradual.
About eight toes out, I sort of went as much as the excessive facet to see if it had an opportunity of stepping into, and it was like going proper in. I used to be simply in shock, disbelief that it went in and it was over. Yeah, right here we’re.
Q. You talked about your shut calls this 12 months and the way adversity is a extremely, actually good trainer. What are these classes that you simply drew from that actually helped you carry it throughout the end line at present?
J.J. SPAUN: I simply felt such as you maintain placing your self in these positions, like finally you’re going to tick one off. This isn’t — I don’t put myself on this place usually, or in any respect, for a significant, that’s for certain. That is solely my second U.S. Open. However all of the shut calls that I’ve had on the PGA TOUR this 12 months has simply been actually good expertise to simply by no means, by no means hand over.
Really, I used to be fascinated by — I used to be having lunch with Max Homa at residence. We reside in the identical space. We belong on the identical membership. He was telling a Tiger story the place he was like, So long as you identical to are nonetheless there, you don’t should do something loopy, particularly at a U.S. Open. He’s like, Tiger mentioned this is able to occur, and the wind will change, however you’ve obtained to simply keep there. Even when you’re 4 again, you’ve simply obtained to remain there. You don’t should do something loopy.
I sort of was fascinated by that on the market this afternoon, the place I used to be 4 again, perhaps going again out after the delay, after which I made some good pars, nothing loopy. Received a extremely good birdie.
Then, subsequent factor , I’m like tied for the lead, I feel, and inside 4 holes of the restart.
That simply sort of goes again to that, such as you simply attempt to like keep there. You don’t should do something loopy, particularly at a U.S. Open. All these issues got here true.
Q. I simply need to know what was that second like while you noticed your daughters out on 18 inexperienced with you? What are you most pleased with about your battle, not solely at present, however this week?
J.J. SPAUN: It was a really touching second to see my women there. They’ve by no means — properly, my oldest daughter, she was on the Valero after I gained, and she or he was about the identical age as my youngest daughter now. It was so cool to simply have my entire household there on Father’s Day. It’s simply unimaginable. I’ve no phrases to explain the second and them having the ability to see me because the winner.
My daughter at all times asks me, each time dad goes {golfing}, she’s like, Had been you the winner at present? Generally I’m like, Yeah, I used to be. She’s like, The place’s my shock? So at present she’s like, You’re the winner at present. Like she obtained to see it. She didn’t should ask me. In order that was a extremely enjoyable second.
Q. We’ve heard guys like Shane Lowry and Scottie Scheffler speak concerning the morning earlier than they gained their first main wanting within the mirror and saying, Do I’ve what it takes? Then telling themselves, I do have what it takes. Did you’ve gotten a second like that both at present or this week at any level?
J.J. SPAUN: In the present day I used to be operating to CVS in downtown as a result of my daughter had a abdomen bug and was vomiting all night time lengthy. I used to be identical to, okay, my spouse was up at 3:00 a.m., and she or he’s like, Violet is vomiting throughout. She will be able to’t maintain something down. It was sort of a tough begin to the morning. I’m not blaming that on my begin, nevertheless it sort of match the mildew of what was happening, the chaos.
I don’t assume I had any — I didn’t actually — like after I return residence after the spherical, my youngsters are there, and it’s such an enormous distraction the place I’m not even having to dwell on something or assume an excessive amount of, which is an efficient factor.
Like THE PLAYERS was powerful, I used to be alone that week, and I’m simply sort of sitting there at night time in my resort room, like attempting to not go on social media, attempting to not go on Twitter or no matter, X. It’s good to have the ability to have the children to be round and be a dad. That sort of retains your thoughts off golf and sort of will get me in a peaceful, cool, collective mindset going into at present.
Q. J.J., nearly as a follow-up to that, at THE PLAYERS you mentioned on Monday that you simply have been going to begin to let golf be golf, that golf was a factor, however extra essential was going residence to Melody, to your daughters. How a lot did that play a component in what occurred on the market at present?
J.J. SPAUN: I feel while you begin to put expectation and that provides stress and also you begin placing — you simply don’t need to have that further stress, and you are able to do that simply by letting your thoughts wander. What if this? If I do that, what occurs? I used to do this on a regular basis. Like, Oh, if I win, I can get into the Masters. If I do that, I lock my card up for 2 years, or blah, blah, blah.
I simply began saying like, my profession is my profession, like no matter occurs occurs. I’m simply joyful to have the profession I’ve had. That sort of took a whole lot of stress off my again so far as expectations on the golf course.
Final 12 months in June I used to be wanting like I used to be going to lose my job, and that was after I had that second the place, if that is how I am going out, I would as properly go down swinging. That’s sort of how my coach tells me about my golf photographs or my golf swing on the course. If there’s a difficult shot, he’s like, not less than you go down committing to the shot. Don’t bail one out proper since you really feel uncomfortable, simply go down swinging. You would possibly as properly put the swing you need on it, and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. That’s sort of the mantra I’ve been having all 12 months.
Q. After we have been on the market on Thursday, we talked about the way you sort of admired Kobe Bryant. Was that your Kobe Bryant second then on 18?
J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, that was unbelievable. That was extra just like the Fisher shot with like 0.2 seconds left. Yeah, I used to be simply — I couldn’t even consider what I witnessed when that went in, sort of like a Nick Taylor second however for the U.S. Open.
Q. J.J., how totally different was the golf course while you got here again out, and the way did you attempt to strategy these totally different situations?
J.J. SPAUN: It was tremendous moist, nevertheless it was much like like yesterday. The greens slowed down fairly a bit, however I knew with my iron recreation, so long as I obtained on the green, I may assault due to how mushy it obtained. It was already fairly mushy. In order that’s sort of — I sort of relied on the expertise yesterday the place it was somewhat slower, the greens have been quite a bit softer, and I simply tried to take what the course gave me.
Q. You had the shut name at THE PLAYERS, however this was just about 4 days the place you couldn’t, you weren’t sneaking up on anyone. You shot the 66, chipped in on the first gap, so that you have been within the highlight proper from the beginning. How did you discover that have this entire week? There was no sneaking up there, you needed to handle it this entire time.
J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, there was no faking, there was no hiding since Thursday. I feel that’s what I’ve been capable of overcome. I’m not attempting to shrink back from the second. Like I simply inform myself, if I can do that when there’s no stress or no lead, like why can’t I do it when there’s?
It’s simply attempting to recover from that line of dealing with the nerves and dealing with stress. I actually confirmed myself quite a bit at present on that again 9.
Q. You hit a spectacular second shot into No. 2. Your response was much more spectacular. Questioning when you may speak us by way of that, please.
J.J. SPAUN: We had 90, I don’t know, 100 yards perhaps, perhaps much less. Nevertheless it was like an ideal sort of flighted chip sand wedge, which is what the shot referred to as for, sort of as a result of it’s straight into the wind, how mushy it was.
I hit it good, and it was proper at it. It was only a matter of was it the right distance or not?
All I heard is sort of a actually loud like, Oh! It wasn’t like an excellent one. So I used to be like, What the hell? Did that hit the pin or one thing? I didn’t even assume it hit the pin. After I noticed it coming off the inexperienced with that a lot pace, I’m like, that needed to have hit the pin.
Then I’m strolling up there, fixing my pitch mark that was a foot in need of the pin, and everybody was like, It hit the pin. In the course of the delay I went and watched my factor and it was simply actually unfortunate. It was just about a two-shot swing. I used to be considering that may have been fairly shut, perhaps inside of 5 toes, if it didn’t hit the flag.
Yeah, it was not an excellent begin to the day.
Q. Most guys are going to stomp somewhat bit after that. All you probably did was one in every of these (indicating.)
J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, as a result of it’s the U.S. Open, and I like to elucidate usually on the golf course. I’m simply, I’m on the level the place I really feel like I get a whole lot of dangerous breaks and I’m identical to used to it.
It was so early on within the spherical that I couldn’t let my angle or any frustration get to me.
Q. You don’t often get 90 minutes in the course of a tense spherical to gather your ideas. How did you keep your focus whereas not simply obsessing over photographs just like the flagstick and that form of factor?
J.J. SPAUN: I assumed it was an excellent factor having the delay. It occurred to me at THE PLAYERS earlier this 12 months the place I used to be sort of struggling on the entrance 9. I had the lead going into Sunday, and we had a four-hour delay, I feel. I ended up turning that spherical into a pleasant battle the place I obtained myself into the playoff.
All I used to be considering was — and even my entire workforce, my coach, my caddie, they have been like, Oh, dude, that is precisely what we’d like. And it was. We went again out and capitalized on sort of — I modified my outfit. I’m like, I’m finished carrying these garments. I simply wanted to reset the whole lot, sort of like begin the entire routine over.
Q. Final couple weeks, what instruments has Josh Gregory given you that you simply didn’t have earlier than?
J.J. SPAUN: The flexibility to learn lies within the tough and easy methods to chip them with constant contact the place you’ll be able to predict like how far the ball’s going to return out or how lifeless it’s going to return out or how a lot effort you could put within the swing to get the ball to the place it must be.
So positively some mechanics, however extra of like understanding what lies sort of dictate how the ball comes out. It’s been good, clearly.
What was humorous, the primary gap of the event — we labored Monday by way of Wednesday, and the primary gap of the event, I’m lifeless, short-sided on 10 within the tough, in all probability — not removed from the pin nevertheless it was lifeless as a result of it was on the incorrect facet of the inexperienced. It’s a kind of lies the place we attempt to — I’m not going to inform the key — however we attempt to do the key, and I chipped it in. My caddie goes, Good shot, Josh. It was good to see that come to fruition so rapidly.
Q. After the restart while you got here again out, was there a selected second on the golf course while you realized that you simply needed to reset your self right here and also you have been able to go and we’re going to be within the hunt?
J.J. SPAUN: The tee shot on 9, like my first shot again. That was the opening we obtained stopped on. I simply flushed one, like a pleasant little minimize up the left facet. And I used to be like, All proper, we’re again. I didn’t hit too many dangerous photographs after that.
Q. You’ve touched on this somewhat bit, however you talked about the place you have been at this level final 12 months. Are you able to sort of simply replicate on the sort of work that you simply’ve put in since then to get the highest fives that you simply obtained earlier this 12 months to now, to the place you at the moment are?
J.J. SPAUN: I feel it’s simply perseverance. I’ve at all times sort of battled by way of no matter it might be to sort of get to the place I wanted to be and get to what I wished. I’ve finished this earlier than. I’ve had slumps sort of at each stage. I’ve at all times sort of, I went again and mentioned, You’ve finished this earlier than. You’ve been down earlier than. You bought out of it. There’s sort of like somewhat sample, so hopefully I don’t do this sample once more.
It is a fairly all-time excessive for me.
Q. There was a second when Robert MacIntyre completed at plus 1 when the whole lot was taking place that appeared to provide momentum to him. Sam was making bogey. Viktor, Tyrrell, I feel you had even simply made bogey. So to him, all of the momentum was — the best way it circled on 17 and 18, from a distance, from a storyteller’s standpoint, there was one thing romantic about it, even watching you hit it from the mist. My long-winded query, is there a non secular component, a romantic component that you simply have a look at, perhaps not in these moments as a result of it was so quickly, however simply golf basically, do you ever get that form of further feeling?
J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, it’s positively like a storybook, fairytale ending, sort of underdog preventing again, not giving up, by no means quitting. With the rain and the whole lot after which the putt, I imply, you couldn’t write a greater story. I’m simply so lucky to be on the receiving finish of that.
Q. You talked about Josh earlier, however Adam and also you linked up a couple of years again, and he’s given you some talks over time. Are you able to speak concerning the Lou Holtz speak you guys had on Thursday, and the way that sort of obtained your thoughts proper earlier than you went out and in the end gained this factor?
J.J. SPAUN: Yeah, he loves to speak about Lou Holtz, how he would sort of inform Adam about his tales to get his workforce pumped up. I can’t phrase it how he does, I’m not even going to attempt to say it. He’s been doing that quite a bit just lately to sort of get my angle and mindset proper, and I feel that’s sort of one of many lacking elements that I’ve been missing the final couple years or so.
It’s good to sort of really feel assured in what I’m doing but in addition have the psychological facet to it as properly.
Q. I see you carrying your daughter up the steps after making that putt. Are you the luckiest man on the earth after what occurred these final 4 days?
J.J. SPAUN: one hundred pc, not less than in my thoughts. Simply to complete it off like that’s only a dream. You watch different folks do it. You see the Tiger chip, you see Nick Taylor’s putt, you see loopy moments. To have my very own second like that at this championship, I’ll always remember this second for the remainder of my life.
Spaun’s successful setup on the U.S. Open Open included:
- Srixon ZXi5 Iron (4i)
- Srixon ZXi7 Irons (5i-PW)
- Cleveland Golf RTX ZipCore Wedge (50°)
- Cleveland Golf RTZ Wedge (54° FULL)
- Cleveland Golf RTX 6 ZipCore (60° LOW)
- Srixon Z-STAR DIAMOND Golf Ball
Listed here are particulars of Spaun’s successful Sunday look:
MATTR Burgh Golf Polo Men | PUMA – Navy (£50)
Dealer Tailored Golf Pants Men | PUMA– Deep Navy (£55)
Ignite Elevate 2 Tour Sneakers – White
Stretch Belt – Navy
The clothes items worn by Spaun all through the event can be found now at uk.puma.com/uk/en.
