JJ. Spaun fought back to win a dramatic U.S. Open at Oakmont, and the American revealed his friend Max Homa offered a story about Tiger Woods that proved key to his victory

J.J. Spaun faced his first big moment on a big stage in golf and he wasn’t ready for it. He didn’t even have a club in his hand. Spaun was a 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie at Torrey Pines in 2017. He was not eligible for the pro-am and wanted to see the North course when he came across an enormous crowd that could mean only one thing: Tiger Woods.

As Spaun closed in on a career-defining win, a piece of advice from the 15-time major winner, via Max Homa, crept into his head.

JJ Spaun has clinched his first major championship with a win at the US Open at Oakmont Country Club after an bizarre day.

That didn't stop golf fans from enjoying their Father's Day afternoon, though. In place of the live action, NBC decided to air highlights from the final two rounds of the 2008 U.S. Open, which was won by Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines while on a bum knee.

I tried to just continue to dig deep,” J.J. Spaun said after winning the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. “I've been doing it my whole life.”

In the span of about two hours on Sunday, J.J. Spaun looked like a golfer in complete freefall. It looked like the magic touch from his first three rounds at Oakmont Country Club had completely abandoned him.