J.J. Spaun was toast. Five bogeys in his first six holes. Head down. Shoulders slumped. A U.S. Open dream seemingly over before it began. After a tee shot into knee-high rough on the first hole and a wedge that ricocheted off the flagstick and spun 50 yards back, it felt like Spaun was on his way to one of the shortest weekends of his season, not a career-defining moment. And then… he won.

In one of the most improbable turnarounds in recent major championship memory, Spaun clawed his way back from that nightmarish start to shoot an even-par 70 on Sunday, finishing one stroke ahead of a star-studded leaderboard. It wasn’t just his shot-making that flipped the script. A well-timed weather delay midway through his round gave Spaun what he would later call a “mental reset”—and, as he admitted candidly, “saved me.” “I just needed to breathe. I couldn’t even think straight out there,” Spaun told reporters after hoisting the trophy. “When they blew the horn, I kind of laughed. It felt like the golf gods were saying, ‘Okay, take a minute, regroup.’ That break saved me.”

But not everyone thinks it was just grit and talent that fueled his comeback. According to retired PGA Tour pro Smylie Kaufman, Spaun got a little help from above—specifically, the USGA. On Pardon My Take, Kaufman didn’t hold back when asked about Spaun’s miraculous rebound. “He just was lost,” Kaufman said. “The composure wasn’t there. He was doing his best, but I’m telling you—he had some of the worst breaks I’ve ever seen.” Early-round rough lies swallowed his ball. A perfect wedge shot hit the flagstick and spun 50 yards off the green. “You’re just thinking to yourself, ‘Maybe it’s just going to be one of those days for J.J. Spaun.’”

Then came the weather delay. A mid-round thunderstorm forced players off the course for 96 minutes, giving Spaun what Kaufman believes was a second life. “Maybe Heyward was at Oakmont Country Club talking to J.J. Spaun at the reset,” he joked, referencing Jason Heyward’s famous rain-delay speech during the Cubs’ 2016 World Series win. The unplanned break seemed to snap Spaun back into focus. He returned to the course looking like a different golfer—calm, precise, and locked in. While some may credit the mental reset or sheer resilience, Kaufman subtly pointed the finger at the timing of the stoppage, implying the USGA’s call shifted momentum in Spaun’s favor. Coincidence? Advantage? Either way, it changed everything. Let’s look at a potentially packed summer for Spaun.

What’s next for J.J. Spaun?

Fresh off his stunning U.S. Open victory at Oakmont, J.J. Spaun is wasting no time getting back to work. His first confirmed start following the major comes at the Travelers Championship (June 19–22, 2025), one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events. Now a top-30 player with full exemptions, Spaun will tee it up at TPC River Highlands among a star-studded field.

Beyond that, his schedule hasn’t been publicly confirmed, but we can make educated guesses. Spaun has regularly appeared at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic, and he posted a top-25 finish at the Deere last year, so it’s likely he’ll return for those late-June and early-July events. Looking toward the international stretch, Spaun is exempt from The Open Championship at Royal Portrush (July 17–20) thanks to his U.S. Open win, and all signs point to him making the trip to Northern Ireland. His status also likely earns him starts at the 3M Open and Wyndham Championship, both of which he played well in during 2024.