One of the most difficult golf courses in the world was not much of an issue for some esteemed Aztec alumni last weekend. J.J. Spaun and Justin Hastings stepped up to the challenge at one of golf’s biggest stages, the U.S. Open. The 125th annual tournament was played at the gauntlet known as Oakmont Country Club, a narrow 7,372-yard, par-70 course that sports some of the fastest greens and thickest roughs in professional play. 

The course’s difficulty was quite apparent in the final scorecards. Of the 156 golfers in the field, only one finished under par, which was the winner, J.J. Spaun.  The Aztec dominance did not stop at Spaun and Hastings either. 11 spots back in the final leaderboard, you’ll find San Diego State alumni Xander Schauffele. His T-12 finish is his ninth straight top-15 finish at the U.S. Open. 

Both Spaun and Hastings began the tournament red hot in their separate ways. It was an instant lead for Spaun thanks to a remarkable four-under performance. Spaun’s first round was especially dominant due to his complete avoidance of bogeys, the eighth bogey-free round in Oakmont’s U.S. Open history. Hastings’ first round consisted of a three-over performance. Although it may not capture your attention, the score was good enough to put him at T-49, above the cut line and ahead of other amateur golfers in the field, including the reigning national champion Michael La Sasso and World No. 1 Amateur Jackson Koivun. 

Cut day saw Spaun continue to hang around the top while Hastings added another accolade to his long list. Spaun shot two-over, enough to keep him in the top three all day, although he did lose his bogey-free streak from round one. 

Hastings became the tournament’s low amateur champion on day two by shooting three-over once again. His six-over score in the first two days pushed him over the cut, making him the only amateur out of 15 to make the final field. The feat is all the more impressive when considering the talent that did not make it to day three. 2024 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau headlined the stars that missed out on a chance at round three. 

U.S Open low amateur champion is just another accomplishment in the former Aztecs’ road to golf superstardom. Hastings spoke of the honor in an interview with ASAP Sports, mentioning that it was “a treat just to play in the U.S. Open, let alone have the success to be able to call yourself low amateur.”

Day three returned to under-par golf for J.J. Spaun. Spaun shot a 69, good for one-under and a continued spot in the top three. Spaun’s return to under-par came at a perfect time as eventual runner-up Robert MacIntyre shot a 69 of his own, climbing the leaderboard. By the third day, Spaun had officially proved to the national audience that he was in legitimate contention. While Spaun competed at the top of the leaderboard, Hastings continued to impress, shooting yet another 73. 

The fourth and final round was pure cinema for Spaun. Nothing comes easy at Oakmont, and day four was a perfect example of that. The field struggled as rain rolled in and began to make the already challenging course even more difficult. Both Spaun and Hastings felt the difficulty as well.

Hastings broke his streak of 73s with a six-over round to give him a final position of T-55, still an outstanding showing for the 21-year-old. For Spaun, it appeared the consistent touch he demonstrated through the first three days had completely gone out the window. J.J. started his day with three straight bogeys, then came back with a par, only to shoot two more bogeys. The rain intensified after Spaun’s brutal start, resulting in a rain delay. The delay saved the spiraling Spaun at the perfect time. In an interview with the United States Golf Association, Spaun openly admitted “that break for me was the key for winning this tournament.”  

Spaun played well enough for the next seven holes, putting him at T-1 entering the last two holes. With leader Robert MacIntyre in the clubhouse, Spaun knew what he needed: a Birdie. With all the pressure in the world firmly placed on his shoulders, he stayed poised and secured a birdie on hole 17 to take the lead away, thanks to a gorgeous tee shot that landed him on the green.

From there, all he needed was a par to etch his name in golf history forever. J.J. approached the 502-yard par-4 that was hole 18 with a beautiful drive right down the middle. From there, he smacked a six iron onto the very outside of the green. 

The shot marked a perfect position to two-putt and secure the victory, only Spaun did not two-putt. Instead, he drilled a miraculous 64-foot birdie putt, instantly throwing his name into golf lore forever. The putt was nothing short of spectacular with Spaun even saying in his post-round interview with USGA, he “was in shock and disbelief when it went in”, but the scene with his family after stole the show. Spaun earned his victory on Father’s Day in front of his two daughters, as well as his wife. He marked them as one of the biggest reasons for his victory, mentioning in his USGA presser how “it was so cool to have my whole family there on Father’s Day.” 

The Aztec alumni put on quite a performance at one of the most legendary tournaments in golf, but this has been a trend. Spaun’s victory gives San Diego State the honor of claiming three of the last six major winners as their own. Quite a run for the Aztecs.