Following his dramatic comeback win at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, newly crowned major champion J.J. Spaun speaks to CNN Sports’ Patrick Snell about his victory.

Pittsburgh

J.J. Spaun, the 2025 U.S. Open champion, spoke with CNN Sports about his recent victory at Oakmont, describing the achievement as 'amazing' and reflecting on the adversity he overcame to reach this milestone. Spaun recounted the pressure of his final putt, sharing how he used a lighthearted practice routine with his caddy to stay focused in a high-stakes moment.

He also discussed the mental challenges of professional golf, including time away from family and the demands of the sport, and expressed gratitude for being able to share his win with his loved ones. Spaun described the experience as life-changing and said he is grateful to join the ranks of major champions.

2025 U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun speaks to CNN Sports

J.J. Spohn, US Open champion. How does that sound? It sounds amazing. I would have never kind of thought that in my life. But, you know, I've kind of always had to battle and overcome adversity. And, you know, just about a year or two ago, I was struggling just to get into these championships. But here I am with my own trophy. We have to talk about a certain part, that part, an amazing finish. Take us through your emotions. And what were you thinking as you approached that putt to minute? What is surging through your mind? So many things. I knew the importance of the putt. I didn't know exactly. I didn't want to look at the lead award because I still wanted to execute the putt how I would if it was, you know, during a practice day or on Thursday. But it's funny. The last thing I said to myself before I stepped into my routine was, this is a $100 make, which, you know, me and my caddy do for fun during practice rounds. We go to random parts on the putting on the green during the practice round. And, you know, they're long, 50 plus feet. And you make when you get 100 bucks. So, you know, it was kind of like a fun little moment where I was like, OK, I've done this before because I've taken a few hundred bucks off of him making those putts. A fun little moment, but a life changing moment for you. Yeah, I mean, I think that's the best thing you can do in such a high intense pressure situation is just to try to dumb it down, to get you to feel comfortable and to, you know, still still want to perform how you'd like. But the expectation can make things even more tough. So to have a little fun with it and have a nice little kind of thought before I ended up hitting the putt, I think could have been the key. Tell us what you've had to overcome along the way, because you once considered walking away from the sport. How tough did it get for you? Yeah, it's just such a mental grind. You're trying to not only play good golf, you're trying to be a dad, trying to provide for your family. You're on the road four to seven weeks in a row, not seeing your family. And it just takes its toll. And, you know, sometimes you got to realize and have a good perspective on what matters most. And then, you know, eventually that can help you turn the corner on the things that you don't really expect, which for me was golf. Your big win coming on Father's Day. How special to share the moment with your loved ones? Yeah, it was unbelievable. It's kind of a story, you know, that you can't write any different script. To see my girls there waiting for me at the end of the green, running into my arms. It's just everything that you've seen, you know, in past championships with fathers and their families. So to have my own special moment with them is something I'll cherish forever. You're a major champion now. Where do you go from here? The bar is high. What are your goals? What do you think? Disneyland. Who knows? I mean, it's so great to be in this kind of realm of golfers that have achieved major history. And I would have never thought that I would actually accomplish this. I've definitely dreamed it, but I would have never thought I'd be here. But I'm so grateful to be the U.S. Open champion.

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