J.J. Spaun celebrates winning the U.S. Open with his daughter, Violet. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

J.J. Spaun made crazy early morning stop before winning U.S. Open

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 11:05 AM ET

J.J. Spaun fought through unlucky breaks, rain and brutal scoring conditions at Oakmont Country Club to capture his first major championship at the 2025 U.S. Open. But that wasn't the only adversity he battled on Sunday.

At 3 a.m., about 11 hours before his final-round tee time at Oakmont, near Pittsburgh, Spaun had to bail on his beauty sleep to make an emergency CVS run for his daughter.

"Today I was running to CVS in downtown because my daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long," Spaun told reporters after the final round of the U.S. Open. "I was just like, OK, my wife was up at 3 a.m., and she's like, 'Violet is vomiting all over.' She can't keep anything down. It was kind of a rough start to the morning. I'm not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos."

Dad duties never stop, even on Father's Day.

After his sleepless night, Spaun made it to Oakmont and began his final round with five bogeys in his first six holes. Even after falling four shots back of the lead, the 34-year-old didn't give up hope. He steadied the ship with five straight pars before a rain delay halted play, giving Spaun the reset he needed to get back in the fight.

Spaun made a 40-foot putt on the par-5 12th hole to record his first birdie of the day. Another birdie at the par-4 14th and a par at the difficult par-3 16th put him in a tie for the lead with two holes left. That's when Spaun took control of the tournament, and — at the same time —his own destiny.

A brilliant tee shot on the drivable par-4 17th led to an easy two-putt birdie to take the outright lead. Needing a par on the difficult 18th to win the U.S. Open, Spaun drained a 64-footer for birdie to secure his first career major.

Spaun's resilience on Sunday perfectly encapsulated what it means to be a U.S. Open champion. The man who braves the elements the best deserves to win the toughest test in golf. Not rain, nor wind nor a 3 a.m. stomach bug held Spaun back from making history at Oakmont.

Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

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