How a journeyman who nearly quit golf overcame the odds to win the US Open

Rarely in golf do you see a walk-off win, but that's what took place at the U.S. Open Sunday

Throw in a comeback on the back nine by a journeyman golfer who nearly quit the game a year ago

and what happened at Oakmont Country Club might one day be a Hollywood movie script

34-year-old J.J. Spahn was near the top of the leaderboard all tournament

but his final round began with bogeys on five of the first six holes

His dream of a major championship all but dead. I felt like I had a chance, a really good chance to win the U.S. Open, you know, the start of the day, and it just unraveled very fast

But, you know, that break was actually the key for me to winning this tournament

The break Spawn needed came when the skies opened up, soaking the course and causing a delay of more than an hour

Spawn started over, even changing clothes. He returned with three straight pars to start the back nine, while others in the field started making mistakes

It was there for the taking once again, but he had to convince himself he could do it

If I can do this when there's no pressure or no lead, why can't I do it when there is

It's just trying to get over that line of handling the nerves and handling the pressure

I really showed myself a lot today on that back nine. Spahn is the definition of a journeyman golfer, a self-taught kid from California who walked on at San Diego State before becoming an All-American

His 11 career on the PGA Tour has been up and down with just one previous win the 2022 Valero Texas Open Last season he nearly quit asking friends and others if they knew of anyone hiring a teaching pro He was ranked outside the top 125

and resigned to his fate. Last year in June, I was like looking like I was going to lose my job

and kind of that was when I had that moment where, you know, if this is how I go, I might as well go

down swinging. Sunday those swings led to a walk-off win in just his ninth major championship

He said he didn't look at the scoreboard not wanting to play defensively. Needing two putts

to earn the trophy, his 64-footer traveled across the green with a big curve and dropped in

setting off pandemonium in the gallery and a celebration with his wife and two young daughters

on Father's Day. Just to finish it off like that is just a dream. I mean, you watch other people

do it. You see, you know, the tiger chip. You see Nick Taylor's putt. You see, you know, crazy

moments. And to have my own moment like that at this championship is, I'll never forget this moment

for the rest of my life. Spahn was the only golfer in the field of 156 to finish under par

The win has changed his life, and it's not just the $4.3 million paycheck

It comes with a five-year PGA Tour exemption, which means he has a guaranteed spot in every tournament, including every major championship

And he's earned a 10-year exemption at the U.S. Open. It's a good thing he didn't quit last year, huh

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis