With his maiden U.S Open win, JJ Spaun has now become a household name in the field of golf. Spaun’s 2025 U.S Open victory looked exactly like a motivational movie based on golf. The hero strives relentlessly, but fails to achieve results. Then one day, burdened by the weight of failures, he decides to quit. But, being the hero, he realises that he will not quit without putting up a fight. And that’s exactly what Spaun did at the U.S Open. From being outside the top 100 in 2024, he stands tall now, ranking 8th in the OWGR. After the historic win, Spaun was surrounded by the media, and all the spotlight was on him.

So, in an interview with the Today Channel, Spaun revealed his secret method to success when the anchor asked, “Is it true that you didn’t look up at the scoreboard to understand exactly what position you were in those final moments?” To which he spilled the secret, “Correct, I didn’t look. But you kind of have an idea based on what the crowds are saying. They’re chanting. They say you can do this, hit it off. The championship is yours. So, I knew what I had, you know, in my back pocket. I just had to finish it off. I wanted to continue to just, you know, stick to my strategy and hit a good putt, most importantly, on the last one, you know, and I did.”

In the final round at Oakmont, Spaun did not really have an ideal start. He made five bogeys in the first six holes. The 90-minute break became a stroke of luck, as Spaun was able to reset himself. He came back all fresh with new clothes and renewed energy. He made birdies at the 12th and 14th holes, and made a spectacular finish with back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th. Moreover, he was the only player to finish one under par with the final round score of 72(-1).

The U.S Open has opened multiple doors for the new champion. He will receive a ten-year exemption for all U.S Open and a five-year exemption for all the Majors. His new rank has also made him a potential player to compete for the U.S Team in the Ryder Cup 2025.

Spaun was overjoyed soon after his extraordinary 65-foot putt at the 18th hole. He and his caddie shared a beautiful hug. What made the event most special was the fact that Spaun’s father watched his son pick up the trophy. Later, the father and son duo shared a hug when his dad said, “You did it. You are a champ. And I love you. I am so proud of you.” Coinidentally, it was also Father’s Day, making it quite a memorable day.

However, other than his father, his caddie Mark Carens is another support pillar for the 2025 U.S. Open, standing by him through thick and thin

Mark Carens’s role in JJ Spaun’s performance

It’s an underrated fact that Caren himself was a golfer. Although he didn’t play at a professional level, he played the sport as a young boy. As a boy, Carens travelled with his father to play in some of Ireland’s and Scotland’s best courses. After high school, he went on to win the 1993 and 1995 Boston Open. However, his playing career came to an end by the age of 30. He then realised that his purpose was not to be a champion, but to make champions. Before Spaun, he caddied for Bubba Watson and Si Woo Kim. With Carens by his side, Kim won the Players Championship 2025. In 2010, Carens took the role of stand-in for Caddie for Watson, and this proved to be a great move since Watson was the runner-up of the tournament. For Kim also Carens was also assigned the task of being Kim’s Caddie for just the Players Championship week.

Carens joined Spaun in 2021, replacing Spaun’s previous caddie Zeke Salas. Soon after the collaboration, Spaun won the 2022 Valero Texas Open. Soon after, Spaun went through a victory drought, but Carens never abandoned Spaun. They share a bond of friendship rather than a strictly professional one. “I have so much fun working for him, it’s a joke. It’s like it’s not even work, I’m just watching someone compete at the highest level. He exudes confidence, and he’s been getting better every day. We’ve been working to get to this position. I knew it was coming, but you never really know anything. I’m just so proud of him.” He said to John Rathouz in April 2022 on the Caddie Network’s YouTube Channel. These words are enough to prove the affection of Mark Carens for JJ Spaun. Will the duo win the Travelers Championship next? Let us know in the comments below.