Oklahoma City (USA) (EFE).- American golfer J.J. Spaun won the 125th edition of the US Open this Sunday, in which Mexican Carlos Ortiz competed neck and neck with the best until the end and Spaniard Jon Rahm rallied in a huge final round to finish seventh.
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At 34 years old, diabetic and of Mexican-Filipino mother, Spaun rang the bell in this ‘major’ with a +2 in the last round (72 strokes) in the last round and -1 in total (the only golfer under par of the entire tournament) to achieve the most important victory of his career. So far, he only had one PGA title to his name: the 2022 Valero Texas Open. Spaun’s Epic Comeback His triumph crowned a day full of epic moments, ups and downs among the main contenders, and a lot of emotion until the end at the very demanding Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA), which was again a ordeal for the golfers and in which the rain forced the round to be interrupted and also accompanied Spaun on the 18th hole. Nothing indicated that Spaun would end up taking this ‘major’ after a very disappointing start to his final round, with no less than five bogeys in the first six holes. Luck didn’t seem to be on his side either, as seen in the 2nd, when his ball crashed into the flag and ended up in a tremendously unfortunate bounce far from the hole. But Spaun orchestrated a vigorous and memorable comeback in the final part of his round. Two birdies on the 12th and 14th laid the foundations and, although a bogey on the 15th slowed his momentum, he closed an unforgettable day for him with two birdies on the 17th and 18th. From leader to champion Special mention deserves his spectacular finish on that last hole. Spaun only needed to seal the par with a two-stroke putt to confirm the victory, but he pulled out of the hat an incredible birdie with a putt of almost 20 meters that unleashed euphoria among the public. Spaun positioned himself as the leader of this ‘big one’ in the first round, but his compatriot Sam Burns topped the leaderboard on both Friday and Saturday. The now champion arrived on Sunday with -3 overall and one stroke behind Burns. It was also the perfect Father’s Day celebration in the U.S. for a Spaun who could celebrate the victory with his two daughters in his arms.Second in this U.S. Open was the Scot Robert MacIntyre, with -2 on Sunday and +1 overall and who could only applaud in amazement and from the television room where he witnessed Spaun’s final amazing birdie.
Hispanics leave their mark
Participants in this U.S. Open were punished one more day by an Oakmont Country Club that, to top off four rounds of hardship, also reserved a good amount of water for Sunday. Burns, who arrived as the leader on Sunday, was one of those who suffered the most with a +8 in the last round that buried his chances of victory (+4 final). Instead, Spaniard Rahm saved his best game for the finish. The one from Barrika was tied for 35th place after three rounds, but this Sunday he delivered a fabulous -3 that allowed him to close his performance with a new ‘top 10’ in a ‘major’ tied in seventh place with a total of +4 with the aforementioned Burns and American and world number one Scottie Scheffler.Rahm Says Goodbye with a Bang
Rahm, who won the U.S. Open in 2021, had four birdies (three of them in the last three holes) and a bogey this Sunday. For his part, Mexican Carlos Ortiz has been one of the prominent names at the U.S. Open and landed this Sunday in fifth place alone, four strokes behind the leader. Ortiz was among the best for much of the round until a double bogey on the 15th left him out of the fight for the title. In any case, the Guadalajara player signed an admirable performance in this U.S. Open and recorded a +3 this Sunday and a +3 in total to finish tied in fourth position with the Englishman Tyrrell Hatton and the American Cameron Young. Third was the Norwegian Viktor Hovland with +2. Finally, Argentine Emiliano Grillo finished tied for 19th (+3 on Sunday, +7 overall) and Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas finished tied for 46th (+7 in the fourth round, +13 accumulated).
