• US Open final round report: JJ Spaun hits shot of his life to win first major

The winner of the 125th US Open has been speaking at the trophy ceremony. “I don’t think I did keep my composure with all the bad breaks I was getting [on front nine],” Spaun, who made 137ft of putts in his final seven holes, said.

Spaun will likely now play in this year’s Ryder Cup

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“I just tried to dig deep, hit some good shots. And honestly, the weather delay we had just changed the whole vibe for the day. I leaned on the experience of a delay at the Players, and I kept pushing. I bounced back and fought really hard on the back nine.

“When I hit the putt I thought it was a little short, but it was right on the line I was going for and about eight feet out it was looking really good. It was just one of those moments in major championships and fortunately it was my time.

“I never thought I would be here holding this trophy. I’ve obviously had aspirations and dreams but I never knew what my ceiling was, never knew how good I could be.

“I’m just proud I’ve been resilient in my career and have pushed through a lot of things. I’m just trying to be the best golfer I can be. I’m happy to display that today at Oakmont.”

Astonishing. Absolutely astonishing. JJ Spaun drains the putt from 64ft and he is the US Open champion. A two putt would have been impressive so that is some way to seal your first major. It is the longest putt made by anyone in the field all week.

It has been a long road of peaks and troughs for Spaun in his career. He lost his PGA Tour card in 2021 but won the Valero Texas Open in 2022, he fell to 164th in the world last year but is now the US Open champion after a miraculous final-round recovery.

He started today with five bogeys in his first six holes but two remarkable long putts at the 12th, 14th and 18th holes, followed by what he must consider the drive of his life at the short par-four 17th, took him to a winning score of minus one. He is the first player to win the US Open with six or more bogeys or worse in the final round since Hale Irwin in 1979.

Spaun made three birdies in his back nine

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Spaun once considered retiring such were his struggles, but he showed signs of brilliance on the big stage at this year’s Players when losing to McIlroy in a play-off and his bogey-free round of 66 this Thursday was a joint record in the first round of a US Open. His putting has been the best in the tournament this week and at the age of 34, he has won his first major ahead of an incredibly spirited Robert MacIntyre.

MacIntyre, the 28-year-old from Oban, finished second on one over

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It’s a career-changing day and he will now be on the US Ryder Cup team in Bethpage Black in September.

The American’s strike for his approach is pure and finds the green but he would have liked it to cut more. Two putts will win it but he has 64ft. He has been the second best putter all week but that remains really testing.

Spaun finds the fairway at the 18th. It’s pouring with rain again.

A fine effort from Spaun but his eagle putt drifts low of the cup at the 17th and he taps in for a birdie that takes him into an outright lead. He needs a par at the immensely challenging final hole — which has produced only one birdie all day — to win the US Open. Hovland meanwhile plays a beautiful chip to get up and down for birdie and he is now two back with one hole to play.

Having been the top two players for so long in this final round, Scott and Burns have both faded to three over and their challenges are likely over. Spaun, however, has just hit one of the shots of the tournament at the 17th. The American almost holes his drive at the driveable par four and will have only 17ft to take a two-shot lead over MacIntyre.

Brilliant from MacIntyre, who smokes his tee shot down the middle of the 18th fairway then finds the centre of the green. He has 33ft for birdie but it stays high and he settles for a two-under round of 68. The 28-year-old from Oban has the clubhouse lead on one over. A reminder that no left-hander has ever won the US Open.

Burns hits his approach at the 15th way left having had his request for a free drop rejected. There was standing water where his ball was lying in the fairway so he probably should have received one, and he compounds the error by duffing his chip in the rough then making a double. He is six over for his round.

Astonishing drama in Oakmont. Burns hits a stunning approach into the 14th but misses the 6ft putt. Up ahead, Hatton makes a solid two putt for par at the challenging 15th then MacIntyre makes birdie at the driveable 17th to get to one over. Having taken the lead, Spaun finds the rough to left then right of the 15th and a dropped shot leaves England’s Hatton and Scotland’s MacIntyre in a share of the lead. Neither of the Europeans have won a major championship before but they are thriving in these wet conditions whilst others crumble around them.

This has suddenly become an extraordinary spectacle since the rain delay. The conditions are so difficult with the heavy air, dense rough and standing water in the fairways, and practically every player in the field is dropping shots with the course playing so long given the lack of run and carry.

Scheffler has set the joint clubhouse lead on four over with Rahm

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JJ Spaun got off to a horror start with five bogeys in six holes but the American has poured in two monster putts from 40ft then 22ft to get back to level and he now holds the outright lead. Up ahead, MacIntyre has reached the driveable par-four 17th on two over. He needs at least a birdie there, you would imagine.

Pressure. At the par-five 13th, Burns has just 119 yards from the middle of his fairway for his third shot but he misses the green to the left, his chip from the rough is average, and then he misses a 6ft putt for par. It means that Hatton, Ortiz, Burns, Scott and Spaun are in a five-way share for the lead on one over. There’s so much water in the turf and it’s doing all sorts to approach shots in this heavy air.

This final round has been crying out for someone to stamp their authority on this tournament and it’s the top two British players, Hatton and MacIntyre who make timely birdies after exquisite iron approaches into the 13th and 14th respectively. Hatton is one back on one over, MacIntyre is two back and in the midst of one of only seven under-par rounds today.

It’s absolute chaos out there, with the rain pouring down and the rough gobbling up balls seemingly at every hole. Burns finds two terrible lies at the 11th and can only salvage a double bogey, meaning not a single player in the field is under par anymore. Scott recovers from a poor approach and duffed chip to make a bogey and is now one behind Burns alongside Carlos Ortiz on one over.

Scott could only salvage bogey from the back of the 11th green after finding another horrible lie

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Scott so nearly holes a monster 44ft putt for a birdie that would have got him back to one under, and then the Australian has to watch Burns get his first birdie of the day from 10ft. The American holds a two-shot lead with eight holes to play but there’s no guarantee we will finish this evening — it is hacking it down at Oakmont and the water table is already high after that torrential downpour earlier.

Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

No fewer than 18 groups started play after Jon Rahm, but the way this is going he is probably licking his lips. He has been in the clubhouse for an age after his round of 67 and three finishing birdies took him to four over par. With shots being dropped everywhere, he is getting ever closer to the top. Funny old game.

Rahm made three birdies in the final three holes to get to four over

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Immediately after taking a two-shot lead, Burns hits his tee shot into what must be among the thickest rough on the course to the left of the 9th fairway and is forced to hack out into the fairway. His third is good from 115 yards but it spins too far and he can only salvage a bogey from the greenside rough. Scott meanwhile gets relief from where the spectators have been standing then plays a delicate chip to save par and move to within one shot at the turn.

Scott made par having taken free relief at the 9th

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The sun is shining but I’m afraid to report that some exceptionally dark clouds are moving in towards Oakmont once again…

At that devilish par three, Scott goes marginally long and right and is faced with one of those nasty chips that so many players have advanced only a few yards from horrible lies this week. The Australian manages to find the green but he fails to make the long par putt and drops back to level. Burns now leads by two.

So just to recap the state of play as play resumes at Oakmont. There are now only two players — Sam Burns (-2) and Adam Scott (-1) — who are under par and those two players in that final group have 11 holes to complete, including the 301-yard par-three 8th first up. Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland are on one over in a tie for third with Hatton looking particularly threatening today. Who is going to seize the initiative in this final round with the leading pack all dropping shots?

The course was flooded during the delay

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Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

If Oakmont has not provided enough tests for the great and good, the fading light will be another come the end. Play will resume at 5.40pm local time and the way they are playing it is going to be very gloomy by the close. As for a play-off, we could be back tomorrow. It could all be a bit like 2014 when Rory McIlroy won the US PGA in near darkness.

McIlroy won the US PGA in 2014 in the dark at Valhalla

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Play will resume at 10.40pm UK time.

Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

The rain does not seem too bad now but there are puddles on the course. The players have now come in after initially being kept out, thinking this might be a short delay. Who might bad weather favour? Bob MacIntyre springs to mind. The defiantly untanned Scot is at ease with a dreich, haar or smiir, and is five off the lead. This is going to be a grind and the delay should ratchet up the pressure on all.

Standing water at the 18th hole

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Sounds like we’re going to be in for a rain delay of about 45 minutes but it is looking a lot brighter at Oakmont and the standing water on the greens is dispersing.

Turns out lightning isn’t the only thing that would suspend play. There is so much standing water on the greens from this torrential downpour that the players have taken shelter or are heading back to the clubhouse. There is a bright patch of sky on the horizon so we should hopefully be back under way soon.

And now the heavens have opened. This Oakmont course is difficult enough with the dense rough and severely sloped greens but the players are now going to have to negotiate a torrential downpour. Fortunately there is no lightning around as that is the only thing that would suspend play. Burns continues to lead from Scott as Hovland drops a shot at the 301-yard par-three 8th to move alongside Hatton on one over.

Dark clouds loom over Hovland at the 6th green

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MacIntyre’s tee shot at the 9th is so bad it’s good in that it flies all of the rough down the right side of the fairway and lands in the middle of the 10th fairway. From there he plays an exquisite approach to only a handful of feet then taps in for a birdie that takes him to three over par.

Not the conventional way to play the hole but the Scotsman enters the back nine in striking distance of Burns just as Scott loses a stroke at the par-three 6th.

MacIntyre made amends for three bogeys with an eagle and a birdie in his front nine

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Spaun started the day on three under par but his driving has been 66th best out of 66 players in this final round and he has made five bogeys in his opening six holes. Painful. Burns has also hit a couple of poor drives and you’re on the back foot as soon as you’re out of position at Oakmont. The American drops another shot at the 5th just as Scott makes a solid par and the pair are now in a share of the lead on two under.

Timely birdie for Scott after those two early dropped shots. The Australian gets back to two under after two putts from the back of the par-five 4th green just as Burns scraps to make a par.

Hatton meanwhile hits a glorious approach into the par-three 6th but leaves his birdie putt in the jaws. He remains one over but seems a big threat such is his current ball-striking. Hovland then gets his first birdie of the day to get back to level par.

The skies are beginning to get really dark over Oakmont and the flags are stiffening.

Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

The way the leaders are playing is giving hope to the rest here. Tyrell Hatton could soon find himself in the thick of it if keeps carving his approaches to the right places. That birdie on the 4th means he has already caught Viktor Hovland and Carlos Ortiz. Only three men ahead of him now and Adam Scott and JJ Spaun are tumbling. It will be interesting to see if Hatton can keep his cool come the crunch.

Hatton has posted rounds of 73, 70 and 68 this week

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Lots of movement at the top of the leaderboard. Hovland makes a calamitous unforced error in missing a 4ft putt for par at the 3rd then finds the Church Pews bunker down the left of the par-five 4th. A third bogey in as many holes then takes Spaun to level par, while Scott finds the bunker at the 3rd and also drops another shot. Hatton, however, hits a magnificent approach into the par-five 4th and so nearly makes eagle. He is now only four back on one over.

Hovland made bogeys at the 2nd and 3rd holes

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A much chirpier Rory McIlroy in the interview zone today. Maybe it is because he is done with this tournament and he is already casting an eye to the return to Royal Portrush.

“If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me,” he says. “Yeah, as I said, I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks. Physically I feel like my game’s there. It’s just mentally getting myself in the right frame of mind to get the best out of myself. I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb. An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.”

It recalls what Michael Campbell, the 2005 champion, told me last week as he recalled looking for a new goal after winning his only major. He said Sir Steve Redgrave had told him that now he had climbed Everest, he needed to do it again — only this time with no oxygen.

• Michael Campbell interview: ‘Little Maori boy’ who won US Open then retired at 46

Brilliant from MacIntyre. The Scotsman got off to a poor start with bogeys at the 1st and 3rd holes but he pours in an astonishing 58ft putt for eagle at the par-five 4th to get back to three over.

Burns meanwhile drops a shot at the 2nd to slip back to three under. Only three players are under par now.

Disappointing start for Scott, who makes a bogey at the 1st having missed the green from the middle of the fairway. His ball was buried in Oakmont’s infamously thick rough and he could barely advance it five yards before it rolled back close to his feet. Spaun then suffers a sickening break when his near-perfect approach into the 2nd rattles off the flag and flies off the front of the green 49 yards from where it originally landed, while Hovland cannot get up and down from the rough.

Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

The good news is I’ve finally spoken to my son. Gets a bit much when you’ve been wished happy Father’s Day by around 25 volunteers, a bus driver and a barista, and given a free badge by the US Golf Association, but your own family doesn’t bother. Anyway, all sorted now. If Sam Burns pulls this off, you can bet there will be no end of paternal schmaltz given his son, Bear, arrived last year. Be nice when asked about the change of perspective if he bucks tradition and says the sleepless nights and brain fog are killing him.

On the course only six players are under par for their rounds so a charge may be hard. Johnny Miller came from six back in 1973, which takes us down to Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen in eighth place. The only major winner of that octet is Adam Scott.

The leading pack are out on the course and they suffer mixed starts. JJ Spaun missed the 1st fairway to the right and, forced to lay up, then found more rough to the left after missing the fairway and drops a shot. Viktor Hovland meanwhile makes par having found the centre of the 1st green and fairway before Adam Scott and Sam Burns nail their opening tee shots. Carlos Ortiz, who began the day in fifth, made a bogey at the 1st in the group in front. Cameron Young is the early mover as birdies at the 2nd and 3rd get him to one over and five shots back.

Spaun has posted rounds of 66, 72 and 69 this week

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Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

Rory McIlroy has got his wish. He said his ambition for today was to play a round in under four-and-a-half hours and get out of here. To the surprise of no one, he plays fast and far better today, gets a 67 and is currently in a share of 30th place. His remarks about not being bothered if he made the cut or not on Friday remains a significant worry. Something is clearly not right with him. It may just be the comedown after reaching the mountain top and he probably needs a break. He is not due to get one, though, and is in the field for next week’s Travelers Championship.

McIlroy shot 67 in his final round to finish seven over for the tournament

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Rory McIlroy birdies the 17th to get back to three under for the day, before a par at the last completes a 67, which is currently the best final-round score. A much-needed change of fortunes for the Northern Irishman at the end of the week.

Scottie Scheffler meanwhile got off to a solid start but found a really nasty lie in the Church Pews bunker at the 3rd then three putted for double bogey. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre was errant with his opening tee shot and made a bogey at the 1st.

There may be plenty of birdies out there but it will be fascinating to see whether Sam Burns has the temperament and patience to hold on to his lead at this exceptionally difficult Oakmont setup. Burns had the makings of a multiple major champion when he won his second Valspar Championship and the Charles Schwab to climb to a career-high 9th in the world in 2022.

Burns has never finished higher than ninth in a major

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He then won only one point at the 2023 Ryder Cup and a run of three straight missed cuts dropped him to 39th in the world earlier this year. The feeling was that he may become a case of unfulfilled potential but his second-placed finish at the Canadian Open last week was concrete evidence of a return to form. Does he have the minerals to get the job done on the biggest stage?

The world No1 Scottie Scheffler has just started his final round eight shots behind his good friend Sam Burns, who he has been sharing a house with this week. The American’s scores have gradually improved (73, 71, 70) but he missed a putt from 2ft yesterday and has been uncharacteristically poor off the tee. He spent a long time hitting balls on the driving range after his third round yesterday though and the number of birdies being made at this infamously difficult course today will be cause for optimism. His opening tee shot finds the first cut to the right of the 1st fairway.

That’s better from McIlroy, who plays a couple of beautiful approaches into the par-three 13th and par-four 14th to get to three under for the day and seven over for the tournament. There are birdies to be had out there, which will encourage the chasing pack behind Burns. Among them now is Thomas Detry and Jason Day after their early birdies. Scottie Scheffler tees off in less than ten minutes.

These are the previous five occasions at the US Open in which a player has held a one-shot lead through 54 holes and their eventual finishing position:
1999 Payne Stewart (won)
2008 Tiger Woods (won in playoff)
2009 Ricky Barnes (T-2)
2013 Phil Mickelson (T-2)
2017 Brian Harman (T-2)

A birdie at the 11th follows consecutive bogeys for McIlroy, whose frustration is plain to see. On Friday, he smashed a tee marker with a wood on the 17th hole having earlier tossed another club in frustration. He boils over again in this final round, but this time with arguably the smoothest club throw ever at a major championship…

Shots are difficult to pick up and even easier to lose at Oakmont but Ryan Fox’s start to his final round should encourage players further back in that Burns’s lead on four under is not unassailable. A successful 11ft putt at the 7th gives the New Zealander his third birdie of the day and he is now into a tie for 21st. Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele have also made decent starts, giving an indication that these could be favourable scoring conditions.

The statistics of the four players under par so far in this tournament make for fascinating reading as each one is excelling in different fields. Sam Burns, the leader, has been the second best in the field with his approach play and around the greens, but ranks 53rd out of 66 off the tee. Adam Scott has meanwhile been the best player off the tee but has struggled around the greens. JJ Spaun has been the best putter in the field, while Viktor Hovland’s approach play has been the best — although he has been poor off the tee and putting.

Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

Golf, and golfers, do not help themselves sometimes. Tron Carter, of No Laying Up podcast, was the first to report that Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, had trashed his locker after missing the cut here. A photo is now doing the rounds on social media. The Times has sought confirmation from his management, while the USGA refused to confirm or deny the report.

This image doing the rounds on social media allegedly shows damage made to the Oakmont lockers by Clark

If he is guilty then why keep it in-house? Alas, this has always been golf’s way. Last month Clark broke his driver as he flung it into advertising hoardings at the US PGA. He issued a fulsome apology after that one. “My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on.

“I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. For that I am truly sorry. I promise to improve the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you all can forgive me in due time.”

McIlroy said yesterday that he wanted his final round to be done “in under 4½ hours” so he could “get out of here” but he is stringing some of his best golf of the week together. He holes a 21ft putt for birdie at the par-four 7th then almost makes a 54ft putt at the 301-yard par-three 8th. He is yet to make a bogey and is now eight over for the tournament. Fox is also off to a flyer and birdies at the 2nd and 4th have got him to six over.

McIlroy made birdies at the 2nd and 7th holes

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Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

So here we go. Fair to say it had been a slow-burner at Oakmont, but today could be a cracker. Adam Scott is there to prove there is life after 40. Justin Rose was a shot away at the Masters but could Scott, pushing 45, get over the line? Three rounds at par or better — nobody else has managed that — and the lack of a star name in front of him will make many think he can, but plenty have a chance here. In the past 20 years the winner has always been within four of the lead going into Sunday.

MacIntyre is seven shots back on three over

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Tyrrell Hatton is just beyond that but his approach play was stellar on Saturday, and Bob MacIntyre can make a lot birdies and will be relishing the chance of chasing. You can easily make a double bogey here and scores can go south very quickly, but overcast and softer conditions should provide opportunities for the adventurous. Buckle up.

How hard is Oakmont playing so far? Well, of the 26 players already out on the course, only two of them — McIlroy and Ryan Fox, who won the Canadian Open last week — are under par. McIlroy has had three good looks for birdie at the 3rd, 4th and 5th after that strong start but putts from between eight and 28ft have stayed high. He remains at nine over. Spain’s Jon Rahm has meanwhile just started his final round by finding the right side of the 1st fairway.

Sitting just three shots off the lead is Viktor Hovland, who — like Burns and Spaun — is also bidding to win his first major. The Norwegian reached a career-high third in 2022, won the FedEx Cup in 2023, but gave an honest assessment of his frailties in March after a run of four missed cuts in five tournaments. “It sucks — I just don’t have control over what I’m doing,” he said.

Hovland escaped with a bogey after playing off a road at the 1st yesterday

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Two days late, Hovland had his hands on the trophy at the Valspar Championship. “Stupid, stupid game,” he wrote on social media afterwards and he has now posted rounds of 71, 68 and 70 this week. Statistically, he has been the best player from tee to green at Oakmont, his wedge play is remarkably improved after extensive work with chipping guru Joe Mayo, and he could become the man to beat if his putter gets hot today.

Rick Broadbent, Oakmont

McIlroy may have become a puzzling enigma since completing the career grand slam at Augusta in April, but a bevy of less-fancied players are relishing the prospect of contending for a major on one of the world’s toughest courses.

Sam Burns reached 54 holes at four under par, a shot clear of an age-defying Adam Scott and JJ Spaun. “I’m pretty happy to be one behind and not sleeping on the lead,” Scott said after a superb round of 67. “This would be huge for me.”

Scott’s only major came at the Masters in 2013

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Rolling in the putts and rolling back the years, the popular Aussie has the chance to become the second-oldest US Open champion at 44 and set a record for the longest gap between majors; his first came at Augusta in 2013. Viktor Hovland dropped a shot on the last but played some lustrous irons and is only three off the lead. They are the only men under par.

• Rick Broadbent: Sam Burns and Adam Scott lead charge as Rory McIlroy heads for exit

So how do we think Oakmont is going to play today? Well, there are only four players in the entire field under par — Burns, Scott, Spaun and Hovland — and a number of players including McIlroy have lost their temper as they grapple with the brutal conditions.

McIlroy threw his club in anger and smashed a tee box earlier in the tournament

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Through three rounds, Oakmont’s lightning greens have produced nearly twice as many three putts (462) as Augusta did for the entire 2025 Masters (238). To make matters even more challenging today, the tee box at the par-three 8th sets the hole at its full 301 yards. There is every possibility that the winning score will be over par later today.

After slumping to ten over par following three frustrating days, Rory McIlroy could no longer let his golf do the talking yesterday. So having refused to speak to the media after six consecutive rounds at the majors, he said that he had not really cared if he had made the cut or not. His amended ambition for Sunday? “A round in under 4½ hours and get out of here.”

McIlroy is clearly struggling for motivation after his Masters victory in April but has made an early birdie at the 2nd at the start of his final round.

Good afternoon, golf fans, and what a day this promises to be. There is no major quite like the US Open when it comes to punishing, gruelling golf and, even against that benchmark, the course at Oakmont can be particularly vindictive.

Sam Burns comes into the day on four under and with a one-shot lead over Adam Scott and JJ Spaun, while Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the chasing pack. On a course where shots are so tough to gain and even easier to lose, that could change very quickly.

Stay with us for updates and Rick Broadbent’s expert analysis from Oakmont.