JJ Spaun Suffers Major Break at 2025 U.S. Open Oakmont

J.J. Spaun experienced one of the most unfortunate breaks in the final round of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, severely impacting his chances of winning his first major title. After bogeying the first hole, Spaun hit a perfect 93-94 yard wedge shot on the second hole that struck the flagstick and then rolled backwards off the green, ending up about 49-50 yards away from the hole due to the severe back-to-front slope. This rare and brutal bounce forced Spaun into a difficult recovery, and he ultimately missed the par putt, resulting in his second straight bogey and a quick fall behind the 54-hole leader, Sam Burns. The broadcast commentators and analysts described the break as one of the worst seen all week, with some calling it the worst break of Spaun's life. Spaun continued to struggle on subsequent holes, adding further bogeys and dropping further down the leaderboard, leaving fans and commentators empathetic to his tough luck. His accurate ball-striking had positioned him well entering the final round, but this unlucky sequence at the second hole overshadowed his performance on Sunday.