The SOCIETY Newsletter #75

JJ Spaun: The 2025 U.S. Open Champion

Congratulations to JJ Spaun, the 2025 U.S. Open Champion, who etched his name into golf history with a remarkable victory at Oakmont Country Club.

Spaun’s triumph was a masterclass in resilience- fighting through adversity at every turn. Oakmont, as always, demanded answers to its relentless questions: Could he remain patient when the best course of action was a punch out of the rough? Could he control his nerves on its lightning-fast greens? Could he navigate the brutal bunkers and narrow fairways? Could he stay composed when the championship seemed to hang by a thread?

The answer, time and again, was yes.

In a week where chaos swirled—from shifting winds to pressure packed moments—JJ Spaun stayed in the moment. Calm. Focused. Unshakable. In doing so, he not only conquered Oakmont, but also delivered one of the most inspiring performances in recent U.S. Open memory.

JJ Spaun, your name now joins the legends who have hoisted this trophy. A worthy champion indeed.

Oakmont: The Ultimate Test of the U.S. Open

There is no stage in American golf more demanding, more honest, or more revered than Oakmont Country Club. When the U.S. Open comes to Oakmont, it is not just a tournament—it is a trial. A proving ground where champions are forged, and pretenders are exposed.

Oakmont’s greatness lies in its brutal simplicity. There are no ocean cliffs, no dramatic mountain backdrops. Instead, it relies on the purest elements of the game: nasty five inch rough, deep bunkers, and the fastest, most treacherous greens in championship golf. There is nowhere to hide at Oakmont. Every shot must be precise. Every decision measured. Every nerve steady.

Since its first U.S. Open in 1927, Oakmont has produced a roll call of legends—Jones, Hogan, Nicklaus, Els. And while equipment, fitness, and technology have evolved, Oakmont’s challenge remains timeless. It strips the game down to its essence: golfer versus course, will versus surrender.

When a player survives Oakmont and hoists the U.S. Open trophy, they’ve done more than win a major—they’ve conquered the ultimate test in golf. And that is the greatness of Oakmont. 

A special thanks to the USGA for this great championship, to the members of Oakmont Country Club for hosting the U.S. Open and the players and caddies who had to endure golf’s greatest test. 

The Conduct Unbecoming Awards – 2025 U.S. Open Edition

I, for one, love the U.S. Open. There’s something about this championship that sets it apart—it pushes golfers to their limits, and in those moments of peak stress, we get a rare and unfiltered glimpse into who they truly are.

Some professionals rise to the occasion, their character shining through the chaos. Others, well, they remind us that even the best can fall short of the pedestal we place them on.

This year, a couple of Irishmen had a rough go. Shane Lowry let fly with a few swear-filled outbursts and, in the heat of the moment, lifted his ball on the green without marking it. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, let his frustration boil over—launching a club and destroying a USGA tee marker in the process. No doubt there were plenty of unseen outbursts across Oakmont, but these were the ones caught on camera.

Yet, remarkably, both Lowry and McIlroy were upstaged in the Conduct Unbecoming department. That distinction goes to former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who decided to take his frustrations out on Oakmont’s iconic lockers. To vandalize a club’s property because you played poorly isn’t the act of a competitor—it’s the tantrum of a child. One can only hope the USGA would consider revoking his exemption to Shinnecock Hills in 2026, but I have my doubts. I even heard an Oakmont member wonder aloud if the club could ban him from future Opens at their venue—though that’s nine years down the line.

Rory’s tee marker destruction was regrettable, but at least that act of frustration didn’t cross the line into vandalizing a host club’s treasured property. Wyndham did, and that’s a far different—and far less forgivable—kind of disgrace.

Parting Thoughts: 

I see a lot of reactions on social media who didn’t like Oakmont or who thought it was too penal. To me- this is what the U.S. Open is about. It’s job is to bully you, frustrate you and punish you to a point of breaking. There is no golf course in the world that is better at that job than Oakmont Country Club. 

To their credit, the membership at Oakmont loves the complaints. The course played exactly how its founder had planned, where a errant shot should be punished by a stroke. Oakmont is the ultimate test of golf and in the end JJ Spaun was the golfer who took the most hits and kept on forging through. In my mind his victory was remarkable. When all else faltered - he stood tall. 

Thank you for reading our newsletter!

Yours in Golf History,

Connor T.