Why JJ Spaun was at CVS at 3AM the Morning of U.S. Open Victory

JJ Spaun has had quite the day. After a grueling 18 holes of golf, he captured his first major championship, winning the 2025 U.S. Open. It was a long day of golf, as there was a 90-minute weather delay. Additionally, play was slower than normal due to the difficulty of Oakmont Country Club.

But for Spaun, his day was even longer.

After hoisting the U.S. Open trophy, Spaun joined the media for an emotional press conference. During his time with the press, Spaun revealed just how long his day really was.

“Today I was running to CVS in downtown because my daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long,” Spaun said. “I was just like, okay, my wife was up at 3:00 a.m., and she’s like, Violet is vomiting all over. She can’t keep anything down. It was kind of a rough start to the morning. I’m not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos.”

His final round certainly looked chaotic.

The 34-year-old began his day one shot off the lead. He trailed Sam Burns, who was the overnight leader at 4-under par. Yet, just over an hour into his day, Spaun had fallen five back after bogeying five of his first six holes.

That includes one of the unluckiest shots you will ever see. His approach shot on the par-4 2nd struck the flag stick and rolled 49 yards from the hole into the fairway.

NBC Sports television announcers consistently referenced the bad luck Spaun encountered early on.

Somehow, he was able to put that aside, regardless of how exhausted he might have felt.

As it turned out, the weather delay was just what the doctor ordered. He was able to collect himself, maybe rest a bit, and refocus.

After going out in 40 strokes, he came home in just 32. Spaun played the back nine at 3-under, and joined only Ben Hogan as winners of the U.S. Open at Oakmont to close birdie-birdie.

The way he pulled that off though was something of legend.

Spaun drove the green on the par-4 17th, setting up a two-putt birdie for the lead. Then on 18, the U.S. Open champion drained a 64-foot birdie putt to walk it off.

“It’s definitely like a storybook, fairytale ending, kind of underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting. With the rain and everything and then the putt, I
mean, you couldn’t write a better story.”

That is not hyperbole, either. It truly was a fairytale ending on Father’s Day.

More Golf: U.S. Open: JJ Spaun Earns Heartwarming Father’s Day Moment