The victory of JJ Spaun at the 2025 US Open is more than a career-defining win—it’s a story of resilience, redemption, and the power of perseverance. The 34-year-old golfer from Los Angeles has captured the city’s attention not just for lifting one of golf’s biggest trophies, but for overcoming a life-altering diagnosis that once derailed his career.
How JJ Spaun beat the odds to win the US Open 2025
In 2018, Spaun was diagnosed with diabetes. Initially misclassified as Type 2, the ineffective treatments saw him struggle with blurred vision, fatigue, and drastic weight loss. Symptoms that ultimately cost him his PGA Tour card in 2021.
It wasn’t until he was correctly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes that his health and game began to stabilize. He returned to the tour with renewed focus and discipline.
The U.S. Open held at Oakmont Country Club tested every golfer’s limits with relentless weather conditions and brutal course design. Spaun’s final-round performance, marked by a heroic 21-meter birdie putt, was nothing short of cinematic.
He became the only player to finish under par (-1), outlasting golf heavyweights like Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland in the most punishing major of the year.
The rise of a hometown hero from rock bottom
This marks Spaun’s first major win and only his second career PGA Tour victory. His previous victory was the Valero Texas Open in 2022. But this title carries deeper meaning for the Los Angeles native, whose roots in the city’s Filipino and Mexican-American communities have made his journey a point of pride for many Angelenos.
Spaun’s story resonates far beyond the fairway. From hitting balls in his garage as a kid to contemplating retirement due to a chronic illness. He now stands as an icon of hope for athletes facing medical adversity. His triumph is a testament to the grit that defines not just great golfers, but great Angelenos.
In a city known for producing stars, JJ Spaun has earned his place among them, not with flash, but with fight. His victory at the U.S. Open is more than a win for his record—it’s a win for everyone who has ever been told to quit.