Strange things can happen when the U.S. Open comes to Oakmont. One of the stiffest tests in golf has taken its toll on just about every one of the biggest names in the sport through the first two rounds this week — and as a result, the door has opened for some Cinderella stories to turn themselves into household names.
Foremost among them, at least so far, has been J.J. Spaun. The 34-year-old first made some waves when he held the solo 54-hole lead at the Players Championship and eventually pushed Rory McIlroy to a playoff. Now, he's got himself in contention at a major championship.
Spaun held the lead at the end of the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open thanks to a four-under 67 on Thursday. Friday was a bit nervier, as it was for just about everybody, but some big putts to close out the round got Spaun into the clubhouse with a two-over 73. He sits at two-under for the tournament overall, just a stroke back of 36-hole leader Sam Burns.
Now, though, things will only get tougher. Not only will Spaun have to battle Oakmont over the weekend, but he'll have to deal with the pressure of being in uncharted territory.
Has J.J. Spaun ever won the U.S. Open?
To put it bluntly: not even close. In fact, this is the first time Spaun has even made the cut at a U.S. Open; his sole previous start in the event, at Torrey Pines back in 2021, resulted in a very short stay.
A graduate of San Diego State, Spaun first turned pro in 2012. But he didn't earn his PGA Tour card until 2017, and he struggled to find his footing, eventually losing it after dropping outside the top 500 of the Official World Golf Ranking in 2021. The only reason he was able to make it to Torrey Pines that same year was through a qualifier at Hilton Head.
Has J.J. Spaun ever won a major championship?
Spaun has never won a major championship, and he has very little experience in golf's first biggest tournaments overall. Aside from his one U.S. Open start, Spaun entered the week with just seven other major starts under his belt: five at the PGA Championship and two at the Masters in 2022 and 2025.
His results in those starts haven't inspired a ton of confidence. He finished T-23 in 2022 and 50th this year at Augusta, and he only made three of five cuts at the PGA with a high finish of T-35 in 2018.
How many wins does J.J. Spaun have in his golf career?
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