All week at Oakmont Country Club, J.J. Spaun wielded his trusty putter like a magic wand. It started on Thursday with the only bogey-free round (66) of the U.S. Open, and 72 hours later he closed one of the wildest Sundays in the 125 editions of this championship with an improbable, cross-country birdie putt on the 72nd green.

The 34-year-old Southern Californian, with just one PGA Tour victory to his name, punctuated the life-changing moment of his 14-year professional career by rolling in a 65-foot putt to edge Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre by two strokes. Spaun, a former San Diego State star, posted a final-round, 2-over 72 for a 72-hole total of 1-under 279. He was the lone competitor to finish in red figures.

MacIntyre, the owner of five professional titles, including the 2024 RBC Canadian Open and the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open, was the only player among the final 17 pairings to better par with a 2-under 68 and a 72-hole score of 271. He also became the third left-hander to finish as a runner-up – joining Phil Mickelson (6) and Brian Harman (2017) – in the only major championship to not have a southpaw winner.

“As bad as things were going, I just still tried to just commit to every shot,” said Spaun. “I tried to continue to dig deep. I’ve been doing it my whole life.

“I think that’s been the biggest difference this year – being able to do that. Fortunately, I dug very deep on the back nine, and things went my way, and here we are with the trophy.”

Every Sunday at a U.S. Open brings an enormous amount of pressure, whether it’s physical or mental. Add Oakmont, one of the most challenging venues in all of golf, to the equation and that factor only intensifies.

Additionally, Mother Nature decided to add a wrinkle to the festivities. As if the venerable western Pennsylvania layout hosting its record 10th U.S. Open hadn’t received enough precipitation already – 13 inches over the last month – a late-afternoon storm dumped even more water on the course, causing a 96-minute weather delay and forcing the competitors to make additional adjustments.

It threw virtually everyone in contention for a loop. Sam Burns, the 36- and 54-hole leader, was seemingly in control when the 28-year-old Louisianan made his first birdie of the day, an 11-footer on the par-4 10th to go two clear of Australian Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, who at 44 was vying to become the second-oldest champion in U.S. Open history. Oakmont sent both spiraling in the wrong direction as Burns played his final seven holes in 6 over par for a final-round 78 and a share of seventh with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm at 4-over 284.

Scott couldn’t repeat his brilliance of the first three days, when he was the only player in the field to not record an over-par round. He carded a final-round 79 and tied for 12th at 6-over 286.

“The conditions were extremely difficult,” said Burns. “I didn’t have my best stuff today.”

Added Scott: “Look, it just wasn’t easy out there. All things being equal, it’s Sunday of the U.S. Open, one of the hardest setups, and the conditions were the hardest of the week. Thank God it wasn’t like this all week.”