JJ Spaun Reflects on U.S. Open Title Defense at Shinnecock Hills
On Tuesday morning, JJ Spaun sat quietly at Shinnecock Hills while USGA officials presented details for the upcoming U.S. Open, set to take place at this legendary Long Island course.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe we won this tournament,” Spaun remarked, embodying the humility of a major champion.
At 35, Spaun is somewhat of a late bloomer and will defend his title starting June 18 at Shinnecock. Reflecting on the past year, he described being the reigning U.S. Open champion after just his second major start as “very strange.”
“I remember being at the Travelers Championship the week after the U.S. Open, paired with Scotty [Scheffler, the world No. 1]. Suddenly, there were about 10,000 fans around the first tee,” he recounted. “It felt great being introduced as the U.S. Open champion. Honestly, I had to ground myself just to soak in the crowd’s reaction.”
“It actually felt like I received more applause than when Scotty was announced. That was nice, but it was surreal. Hearing those words right before I tee off—no matter what happens after that, it’s a reminder of my achievement. It motivates me. I’m truly honored to hold the title of U.S. Open champion.”
This season has been tough for Spaun, who missed the cut four times in his first seven events and only managed a tie for 24th at the last tournament he played.
He did manage to clinch the Valero Texas Open in April, which he felt validated his U.S. Open victory, but skipped the Masters and recently tied for 14th at the Cadillac Championship in Doral.
It was Spaun’s first chance to visit Shinnecock. “It’s nice to walk around and get a visual sense of the place, to understand what to expect,” he mentioned. “Last year, when I played in the Masters, I rushed in due to my recent win, and I didn’t play as well as I hoped.”
“This time, I wanted to approach it differently. So I arrived on Saturday, hoping for a relaxed start, but I still didn’t have a good round. It felt like too much waiting for Thursday,” he admitted, reflecting on the long wait until the opening round.
He had also shifted his arrival for last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, going in on a Sunday. “I hadn’t been there before, but I felt like it gave me enough time to adjust. I think I’ll follow that same approach this year—arriving on Sunday and spending Monday through Wednesday on the course,” he added. “It seemed to work, so why not try it again?”
