'Fairytale ending': JJ Spaun soaks in emotional US Open victory

The 34-year-old American stunned the golf world with a two-shot win at the US Open, overcoming a disastrous start to his final round and sinking a 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th at Oakmont to seal his first major title.

"Just to finish it off like that is a dream," Spaun said. "You watch other people do it - the Tiger chip, Nick Taylor's putt - and now I have my own moment. I'll never forget it."

Once five shots back after carding five bogeys in his opening six holes, Spaun clawed back on the back nine as others faltered in tough conditions.

"As bad as things were going, I just tried to commit to every shot," he said. "I've been doing that my whole life - digging deep when things aren't going my way. That's been the biggest difference this year."

His dramatic win comes after a series of close calls and years of grinding, including a 2022 victory at the Valero Texas Open and a near-miss at The Players this season, where he pushed Rory McIlroy to a playoff.

"Last June, I thought I might lose my job," Spaun revealed. "I told myself-if I'm going out, I'm going down swinging. That's been my mantra all year."

Spaun's gritty performance included six bogeys - the most by a US Open winner in 45 years-and the chaos wasn't limited to the course.

"I was at CVS at 3 a.m. getting medicine for my daughter who was vomiting all night," he said, recalling his wild Sunday morning. "It fit the chaos of the day. But somehow, I stayed calm."

Now ranked No. 8 in the world and firmly in Ryder Cup contention, Spaun is embracing the next chapter.

"I finally have that belief," he said. "To do this on the biggest stage, under the most pressure - it means everything."