JJ Spaun resists everything to win the US Open

JJ Spaun has just won the US Open after a crazy, rich and uncertain final day. The 34-year-old American, who succeeds Bryson DeChambeau, was in the lead after the first round. He is the only player in the field to have beaten the course over the four days. He finished in -1, thanks to a 68-foot putt, which is just over 22 meters. A final stroke of genius that made the soaked fans roar with delight, soaked by the numerous showers that disrupted the American Sunday and forced the organizers to suspend play for over an hour. The Oakmont groundskeepers are magicians. They don't have wands, but squeegees, and they managed to make the puddles and paddling pools disappear.

You had to be strong not to give in, to stay focused, not to think about the clouds, the lightning, the wet gloves, the slippery grips, the possibility of having to come back on Monday to finish this major like no other. J.J. Spaun was the strongest. The little guy from Los Angeles who proudly displays his Mexican and Filipino heritage resisted all these elements, but also the charge of a left-hander that no one expected, who started from far behind since he was +4 on the evening of the third day. Like Victor Perez. Like Scottie Scheffler.

Robert Macintyre finished second, two strokes back, after shooting a 68. He was the clubhouse leader and watched JJ Spaun's final moves dry. The Scot, it's no cliché, didn't seem fazed by the downpour. He even enjoyed himself in the torrential rain. He nearly defied all predictions and undermined the statistic released Saturday by the USGA media service: the last ten US Open winners were first or second on the evening of the "moving day."

There were three who could continue this tradition: Sam Burns, the leader with a total of -4, Adam Scott just behind at one stroke, and JJ Spaun at two lengths.

Sam Burns believed in it for a long time, but Scottie Scheffler's best friend, who often shared the same house during tournaments, lost everything on the return leg. At the 11th tee, he was still the leader (-2), two shots ahead of Adam Scott and four ahead of JJ Spaun. At that point, we thought the US Open was over. But Sam Burns exploded, annoyed by the rain and the state of the fairway, which was too wet for his liking to have any chance of controlling the ball's trajectory.

He then continued with a double on the 11th, a bogey on the 12th, another double on the 15th, a bogey on the 16th. He finished his journey to the end of hell with another bogey on the 18th... With a card of 78, Sam Burns, who finished the tournament at +4 like his friend Scheffler, did not want to get lost alone, he dragged Adam Scott into the depths of the game.

On Saturday night, we were already imagining the 44-year-old Australian, the player with 96 consecutive majors, winning 12 years after his title at Augusta. The elegant Adam Scott could have written a magnificent page in the history of his sport, but he too was swept away by the madness of this course, unable to get his swing back on track on the last nine holes, which are supposedly easier.

These misfortunes almost led to happiness, at one point for Tyrell Hatton and Carlos Ortiz, the LIV dissidents, who found themselves co-leaders for a few minutes, for another "moving day..." But it didn't last. The Englishman ended his tournament with two bogeys, and the Mexican got back into the ranks with a double on the 15th.

Like Saturday, world number 1 Scottie Scheffler shot a 70... He didn't beat Oakmont, struggled with his swing, but still finished 7th at the US Open. The next big golf event is The Open, in Portrush, Northern Ireland, hosted by Rory McIlroy. We're already looking forward to it and finding out who will succeed Xander Schauffele.