Celebrate J.J. Spaun's dramatic, improbable U.S. Open win with commemorative page print
A 34-year-old journeyman who contemplated retirement a year ago wins the U.S. Open? Sounds more like the movie 'Tin Cup' than what transpired at storied Oakmont Country Club on Father's Day.
But J.J. Spaun, who was born in Los Angeles and played at San Diego State, won the tournament in dramatic fashion on a roller coaster of a Sunday. He bogeyed five of the first six holes but rallied with a 3-under 32 on the back nine, which included birdies of 40 feet, 22 feet and an incredible 64 feet.
Celebrate Spaun's underdog victory with a beautifully designed commemorative page print from USA TODAY. Featuring a bold headline and a striking image of Spaun celebrating at Oakmont, this keepsake captures the moment perfectly.
Buy our U.S. Open page print
Printed on premium, acid-free art paper, this collectible starts at $35 (plus shipping). Elegant upgrade options include framed editions and backgrounds in canvas, acrylic, metal or wood through the USA TODAY Store.
Late on the back nine, Spaun was one of five players tied for the lead on a course that crowned such champions as Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Johnny Miller and Ernie Els. Spaun finished at 1-under 279, the only golfer in red numbers, two strokes ahead of Scotland's Robert MacIntyre.
He made the 64-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole when he only needed a two-putt par for victory.
Own a piece of golf history today! J.J. Spaun's story will long be remembered by golf fans the world over.
Buy our U.S. Open page print
Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@gannett.com. Follow him on X @GeneMyers. After nearly a quarter-century as sports editor at the Detroit Free Press, Myers unretired to coordinate book and poster projects across the USA TODAY Network. Explore more books and page prints from the USA TODAY Network, including titles on the Florida Gators' NCAA basketball championship and the Philadelphia Eagles' victory in Super Bowl 59.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Naomi Osaka announces she is no longer working with coach Patrick Mouratoglou
WASHINGTON (AP) — Naomi Osaka and coach Patrick Mouratoglou are done working together after less than a year, the four-time Grand Slam champion announced Sunday on social media. 'Merci Patrick,' Osaka began her post, with a photo of her hitting a practice serve while he stands nearby. 'It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met and I'm sure I'll see you around.' The news comes three days after Osaka lost her second match at the D.C. Open and just before she begins competing in Toronto. The U.S. Open, the year's last major tournament and an event Osaka won twice, begins in New York on Aug. 24. Osaka hired Mouratoglou — who was the longtime coach of Serena Williams — when she fired Wim Fissette shortly after her second-round exit at last year's U.S. Open. Osaka, a former No. 1, is currently ranked 51st and has a 21-11 record this season. She hasn't been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament since winning the 2021 Australian Open.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Leylah Fernandez beats Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 to win the DC Open for her biggest title
WASHINGTON (AP) — Leylah Fernandez collected the biggest title of her career at the D.C. Open with her most lopsided victory of the tournament, defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the final on Sunday. The left-handed Fernandez , a 22-year-old from Canada who is ranked 36th, earned her fourth singles trophy — all have come at hard-court tournaments — and first at a WTA 500 event. She came quite close to a Grand Slam championship as a teenager at the 2021 U.S. Open , making it all the way to the final in New York before losing to Emma Raducanu. There almost was a rematch in Washington, but Kalinskaya eliminated Raducanu in the semifinals Saturday. Until Sunday, the 48th-ranked Kalinskaya had not dropped a set all week. However, she wasn't able to keep up with Fernandez, who saved the only break point she faced while taking four of Kalinskaya's service games in a match that lasted 1 hour, 10 minutes. One key: Fernandez claimed 10 of the 12 points in the match when Kalinskaya hit a second serve. Another: Kalinskaya finished with 24 unforced errors and just nine winners. This was the first title for Fernandez since October 2023 at the Hong Kong Open. She dedicated this victory to her mother, her older sister and her fitness trainer. 'Thank you so much for never giving up on me — and don't give up on yourselves,' Fernandez said. 'This trophy is for you guys.' She arrived in Washington with a losing record this season and hadn't won more than two matches at the same tournament since last November. With a mix of baseline excellence and strong net play, Fernandez eliminated top-seeded Jessica Pegula — the U.S. Open runner-up last year — and No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina — the Wimbledon champion in 2022 — on the way to the final. The win against Rybakina in Saturday's semifinals took three tiebreakers and more than three hours to decide. 'Amazing fight this week,' Kalinskaya told Fernandez after the title match. 'You truly deserve it.' There was no such drama against Kalinskaya, a 26-year-old Russian who fell to 0-3 in tour-level finals. She lost to Jasmine Paolini in Dubai and to Pegula in Berlin last year. The men's final scheduled for later Sunday was No. 7 seed Alex de Minaur against No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who defeated No. 1 Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Ben Shelton in the semifinals. ___ AP tennis:
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Leylah Fernandez beats Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 to win the DC Open for her biggest title
Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Leylah Fernandez collected the biggest title of her career at the D.C. Open with her most lopsided victory of the tournament, defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the final on Sunday. The left-handed Fernandez, a 22-year-old from Canada who is ranked 36th, earned her fourth singles trophy — all have come at hard-court tournaments — and first at a WTA 500 event. She came quite close to a Grand Slam championship as a teenager at the 2021 U.S. Open, making it all the way to the final in New York before losing to Emma Raducanu. There almost was a rematch in Washington, but Kalinskaya eliminated Raducanu in the semifinals Saturday. Until Sunday, the 48th-ranked Kalinskaya had not dropped a set all week. However, she wasn't able to keep up with Fernandez, who saved the only two break points she faced while taking four of Kalinskaya's service games in a match that lasted 1 hour, 10 minutes. One key: Fernandez claimed 10 of the 12 points in the match when Kalinskaya hit a second serve. This was the first title for Fernandez since October 2023 at the Hong Kong Open. She arrived in Washington with a losing record this season and hadn't won more than two matches at the same tournament since last November. With a mix of baseline excellence and strong net play, Fernandez eliminated top-seeded Jessica Pegula — the U.S. Open runner-up last year — and No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina — the Wimbledon champion in 2022 — on the way to the final. The win against Rybakina in Saturday's semifinals took three tiebreakers and more than three hours to decide. There was no such drama against Kalinskaya, a 26-year-old Russian who fell to 0-3 in tour-level finals. She lost to Jasmine Paolini in Dubai and to Pegula in Berlin last year. The men's final scheduled for later Sunday was No. 7 seed Alex de Minaur against No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who defeated No. 1 Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Ben Shelton in the semifinals. ___ AP tennis:
