J.J. Spaun’s path to winning the 2025 U.S. Open was never paved with guarantees.
A devotion to the game of golf at a young age brought Spaun to South Pasadena where he spent time at Arroyo Seco Golf Course learning the sport’s fundamentals, not through professional coaching, but repetition, trial and error, oh, and above all else – an earnest love of the sport.
For the San Dimas native, the 18-hole, 3-par course and adjoining range was the perfect proving ground for a young person who had no idea that someday he would be standing over a 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that miraculously would go in last Sunday to win the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club just outside Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
On an unforgettable Father’s Day, it was life-changing as Spaun walked off with a cool $4.3 million.
Those times spent hitting the ball down in the Arroyo were among the first signs J.J. had a knack for golf, along with some plastic clubs mom and dad gave him at age 3, the spark for him to start hitting balls in the garage.
Encouragement came in a big way from his parents, especially his mother, Dollie, as Spaun crafted his skill at the Arroyo Seco course for what would eventually become a future in pro golf. An employee at the course said on Thursday none of the current workers were around during Spaun’s youth, but rumor has it he would go to the range from time to time to quietly work on his game.
On the Rich Eisen Show, where national sports talk commentary is heard daily, it was revealed this week that Dollie surprisingly played at the local course while she was pregnant with J.J., no thoughts, of course, she was carrying a future U.S. Open champion.
Growing up, Spaun’s hard work and dedication paid off handsomely when his natural ability took him to great heights at San Dimas High, shining as a teen on the school’s golf team.
Yet, his trail to success seemed to have roadblocks at every turn from there. Despite being one of the better high school talents in his day, college programs overlooked him. That didn’t stop Spaun’s unwavering focus, as he became a walk-on at San Diego State University, where the transformation really took off in earnest, J.J. earning Mountain West Conference Player of the Year honors in 2012 and All-American recognition.
He then set out on developmental tours, slogging through 2013 and 2014, picking up a mere $72,000 over the two seasons. In 2014 alone, Spaun earned only $825 in prize money, missing six cuts in seven tries.
The situation improved in 2015 as J.J. broke the PGA Tour Canada’s single-season mark. His momentum carried over to 2016 with a Korn Ferry win, the impetus for Spaun to join the PGA Tour.
Yet another setback came when Spaun came up short in FedEx points over the next three years, including a 185th finish in 2019, resulting in him losing his tour card. With the help of Q-School, he got it back but fell on hard times once again as the professional tour was suspended in 2020 due to COVID.
Misfortunes were commonplace, another popping up along the way when he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which later was changed to Type 1.
Before his U.S. Open triumph, 2022 was Spaun’s best year when he claimed his first PGA Tour win, taking home the title at the Valero Texas Open.
In 2023 and 2024 the struggles returned, as he was winless, ranking 62nd and 98th, respectively, in the world.
Seemingly like Teflon, the hardships and difficult times didn’t stick, as his remarkable resiliency deflected all odds, Spaun reaching the pinnacle, grabbing the crown, by winning on Sunday. Coming into the U.S. Open, he had made 14 cuts in 17 starts this season, finishing in the top 10 five times, including a playoff loss to Rory Mcllroy in the Players Championship.
“Last June, I was looking like I was going to lose my job, and that was when I had that moment where, if this is where I go out, I might as well go down swinging,” Spaun told Golf Monthly. “That’s the kind of mantra I’ve been having all year.”
Wet weather played havoc on the field throughout the U.S. Open’s four days, making an already tough course with lightning-fast greens and a deep rough, that much tougher, play coming to a halt on Sunday when rain caused a 1-hour and 36- minute delay before action was resumed.
For Spaun, who opened the final round with four bogeys over the first six holes, including one on the second when his approach shot hit the flag stick and bounded about 50 yards away, it was time to hit the reset button.
After the stoppage and an inspirational message from his coaches, Spaun returned to play with a renewed vigor and game to match. Battling the elements, he birdied 17 and surged ahead for good with the memorable putt of a lifetime on 18.
“I felt like I had a chance, a really good chance to win the U.S. Open at the start of the day,” he told the media. “It just unraveled very fast. But the break was actually the key for me winning this tournament.”
He attained the victory with a steady calmness and strategic discipline honed over a lifetime, from those formative days tooling his game at Arroyo Seco Golf Course where he had a burning desire to play well, not knowing at the time he’d someday be playing against the best talent on the planet.
After his slow start, Spaun settled in by showcasing uncanny accuracy, patience and no shortage of confidence, making difficult putts as he grabbed the lead, ultimately winning his first major title, finishing two strokes in front of Robert MacIntyre. With it, Spaun rose to No. 8 in the World Golf Rankings, according to Reuters.
It has been a long journey, Spaun mindful of his days as a kid, learning the value of grit and determination at a South Pasadena course that laid the foundation, and created the basic groundwork for him to reach the highest level in the sport.
“It’s definitely like a storybook, fairytale ending, kind of underdog fighting back not giving up, never quitting,” the 34-year-old said to Golf Monthly. “With the rain and everything, and then the putt, I mean, you couldn’t write a better story. I’m just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that.”
