PITTSBURGH — With one pulsating 64-foot birdie putt at the final hole, J.J. Spaun took what had been a lackluster U.S. Open devoid of star power and turned it into the most thrilling and captivating ending in Oakmont's storied championship history.

Make no mistake, this was different than what the U.S. Open authored just a year ago — a heavyweight fight between Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau that ended with DeChambeau hitting one of the most pressure-packed long recovery shots from the greenside bunker to win the championship.

And make no mistake, there have been other dramatic final-hole putts at the U.S. Open: Hale Irwin's victory lap in 1990 at Medinah, Payne Stewart at Pinehurst in 1999, Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines in 2008.

None, though, were as improbable as what Spaun authored in the Western Pennsylvania raindrops Sunday evening — not only the longest putt made all week but the longest to win a major tournament.

Ben Hogan once birdied the last two holes at Oakmont — just as Spaun did — to win the 1952 U.S. Open. But even his final putt was not as long, certainly not as ridiculously unthinkable, as the one delivered by Spaun.

All by himself, with one shining moment (cue the music), he saved the U.S. Open from itself.

Spaun called it a "fairytale" ending, a script you couldn't possibly write that anyone would really believe. Not after the way his Father's Day started. Certainly not the way it ended.

He put the juice in a tournament in which none of the top 10 players in the world were among the final five twosomes on Sunday. Only four of the top 20 were in the final 10 twosomes.

But, in the end, the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont will be remembered as one of the most exciting, and that's because of what Spaun did with one final stroke. He rescued Oakmont — a cathedral of great champions — from a tournament that had been as dreary as the gray, threatening clouds.

Oakmont will always be remembered for Jack Nicklaus' "changing of the guard" playoff victory over Arnold Palmer in 1962. And for being the site of the greatest round ever played — Johnny Miller's epic final-round 63 in 1973. It will always be cherished for Palmer's emotional farewell appearance in 1994.

But there was never a singular moment like this at Oakmont. Never.

"Certainly not in my lifetime," said Bob Ford, Oakmont's former long-time professional who has been at the club since 1974.

Winning the U.S. Open one year after Spaun was 164th on the money list and in danger of losing his PGA Tour card was monumental enough. Doing it on the 72nd hole with that insane moment is something that will be replayed and remembered forever.

OK, Oakmont is not about to bronze a statue of Spaun near the pro shop, not like Pinehurst did with Stewart. But who knows? Maybe they'll put a plaque near the left side of the 18th green, commemorating the spot from which the 34-year Southern Californian delivered the spectacular moment.

After all, Torrey Pines has one near the 18th green to celebrate Woods' birdie putt to force the 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate. Pebble Beach planted one at the 17th tee, commemorating Nicklaus' famous 1-iron in the 1967 U.S. Open. Merion put one in the 18th fairway to memorialize Hogan's iconic 1-iron in 1950. Heck, even Robert Gamez has a plaque in the 18th fairway at Bay Hill to honor his eagle-2 that won the tournament in 1990.

Why not Spaun?

"Unbelievable," said Tyrrell Hatton, interrupting his post-round interview while watching the moment on a nearby screen. "What a putt to win. That's incredible."

This time last year, Spaun was out of the picture. But he righted himself with three top-10 finishes in his last nine events of 2024, then began this season with a third-place finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Two weeks after he finished second in the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., he took Rory McIlroy to a three-hole playoff at the Players championship before losing.

Now he's moved up to No. 3 on the tour's money list after his $4.3 million U.S. Open payout and on top of the golf world.

"I think it's just perseverance," Spaun said late Sunday night, after it was all over, sitting next to his trophy. "I've always kind of battled through whatever it may be to kind of get to where I needed to be and get to what I wanted.

"I've done this before. I've had slumps kind of at every level. I've always kind of, I went back and said, 'You've done this before. You've been down before. You got out of it.' There's kind of like a little pattern, so hopefully I don't do that pattern again."

Then he added, "This is a pretty all-time high for me."

And for Oakmont.

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