© Bill Streicher/Imagn
JJ Spaun cemented his place in golf history on Sunday when he fired an incredible back-nine 32 to win the U.S. Open at Oakmont. But less than 12 hours before his final round tee time, in the middle of the night, Spaun was wide awake for a reason that anybody who has ever been a parent can relate to.
After the round, Spaun revealed that he was up at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, driving to a CVS because his daughter Violet was ill.
“Today I was running to CVS in downtown because my daughter had a stomach bug and was vomiting all night long,” Spaun said after the round, U.S. Open trophy by his side. “My wife was up at 3:00 a.m., and she’s like, ‘Violet is vomiting all over. She can’t keep anything down.’”
Spaun shot five over through his first six holes on Sunday, and while he wouldn’t blame the late night for his slow start, he did explain how it affected his now-legendary round.
“It was kind of a rough start to the morning. I’m not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos. I don’t think I had any, I didn’t really, like when I go back home after the round, my kids are there, and it’s such a big distraction where I’m not even having to dwell on anything or think too much, which is a good thing.”
“We’re staying up late tonight!” 😂
A major win changes bedtime just a bit. pic.twitter.com/vHs9QSUn10
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 16, 2025
JJ Spaun Explains How Having Family With Him Helped Him Win 2025 U.S. Open
Earlier this season, Spaun finished second to Rory McIlroy in a playoff at The Players Championship. That time around, he didn’t have his family with him, and it took a toll.
“The Players was tough. I was alone that week, and I’m just kind of sitting there at night in my hotel room, like trying not to go on social media, trying not to go on Twitter or whatever, X. It’s nice to be able to have the kids to be around and be a dad,” he said. “That kind of keeps your mind off golf and kind of gets me in a calm, cool, collective mindset going into today.”
This time around, Spaun had his wife and daughters with him to watch him reach the pinnacle of his golfing career to this point. Talk about a heck of a Father’s Day gift.