Spaun holds off MacIntyre to win dramatic US Open

Leaderboard: -1 Spaun (US); +1 MacIntyre (Sco); +2 Hovland (Nor); +3 Hatton (Eng); Young (US), Ortiz (Mex), +4 Burns (US), Scheffler (US) Rahm (Spa); +5 Scott (Aus), Griffin (US), Henley (US)

Selected others: +6 Schauffele (US), Koepka (US); +7 McIlroy (NI); +8 Wallace (Eng), Spieth (US), +9 Rai (Eng); +11 Fitzpatrick (Eng); +15 Canter (US)

America’s JJ Spaun overcame a flooded golf course, a 90-minute rain delay and the brilliance of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre to win the US Open on a chaotic final day at Oakmont Country Club.

The 34-year-old, who needed a par on the last to win his first major, holed an incredible 65-foot birdie putt to win by two on one under.

MacIntyre, who started the day seven off the lead, was the only player from the overnight top-10 to break par in the final round as he shot a sensational two-under 68 to set the clubhouse target at one over par.

But Spaun birdied the 17th to move one clear and then produced his moment of magic on the final green to send the drenched masses surround the putting surface wild.

The Californian, who started the round one shot off leader Sam Burns, bogeyed five of his first six holes to seemingly drop out of contention.

However, after torrential rain stopped play for an hour and a half, Spaun regained his composure to follow a front nine of 40 shots with a back nine of 32.

“I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,” he said.

“I’ve always had aspirations and dreams but a few months ago I didn’t know what my ceiling was and how good I could be.”

While Spaun was climbing the leaderboard, the ragged play of others added to the drama.

Overnight leader Burns and playing partner Adam Scott drowned in the rain, enduring nightmare rounds of eight and nine over par respectively to finish well off the pace.

At one stage, five players had shared the lead at one over par, including England’s Tyrrell Hatton who played outstandingly through 16 holes but imploded at the 17th and finished four back.

Back in March, JJ Spaun was inches from landing a birdie on the 18th hole from 31 feet to beat Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship and went on to lose in a play-off.

At the US Open, he went one better, from twice the distance, and he celebrated wildly before succumbing to his tears.

The putt ensured he was the only player to navigate 72 holes at brutal Oakmont Country Club under par – a fitting finish for the sole man to shoot a bogey-free round this week with his stunning 66 on Thursday.

And yet his final round was littered with bad breaks – and bogeys.

A horror start seemed to have cost him his chance at a career-changing title – his approach at the second hitting the flagpole before rolling 50 yards away, and then bouncing his ball off a rake at the fourth on his way to five bogeys in six holes.

But, while almost everyone else was speeding down the leaderboard, he showed remarkable composure after the rain break to haul himself back into contention.

Monster putts from 40 feet and 22 feet got him into the lead and, after a bogey at the 15th, his stellar tee shot at 17 earned him another birdie before the best putter in the field sealed matters in style at the last.

“The weather delay changed the whole vibe for the day,” he said.