Tournament Disruption at 2025 US Open Due to Adverse Weather Conditions... Temporarily, Weather Intensifies Dramatically to Enhance Competition
The 2025 US Open Chaos:
The 2025 US Open will eternally be etched in memory for the chaos that unfolded on the back nine, as JJ Spaun emerged victorious and clinched his first major title with a thrilling 65-footer.
This event was one unpredictable golf affair, and one I'd never have guessed as I watched the final group tee off late Sunday afternoon.
Oakmont is notorious for being one of the toughest courses in the world, but it proved to be an unfamiliar beast this time around. Despite the hype of firm, fast, and bouncy fairways, the weather sabotaged our plans for a classic US Open experience.
We were slapped in the face with one of the rainiest springs on record, and gloomy conditions plagued the event for the first day and a half, making for a fairly dreary viewing experience.
The thick rough and soft Oakmont still gave the world's best a run for their money, but the course wasn't the US Open I envisioned when I learned which venue was hosting. To be fair, even the folks at Golf Monthly would have found it tough to predict the spectacle that unfolded.
The weather sucked the life out of the course and the atmosphere, but it's often said that every cloud has a silver lining – and boy, did we stumble upon one.
Can you imagine Oakmont pushing the limits of difficulty if it had been hot and sunny all week? The course would have been off the charts in challenge, creating scenes that would make for epic viewing. The weather might have contributed to a more subdued atmosphere, too.
Justin Thomas, who did not make the cut, gave us an idea of what might have been, tweeting that the winning score could have been in the 7-10 over-par range had the weather been cooperative.
When the final round rolled around, rain once again played spoilsport, suspending play midway through and transforming Oakmont into a soggy, almost unplayable mess after the restart. As more rain fell, players fought valiantly through watery fairways, wet rough, soggy bunkers, and greens spinning out of control.
With Rory McIlroy and DeChambeau absent from the leaderboard, the US Open suddenly became a nail-biting, unpredictable battle. Sam Burns found himself at the top, but not for long. It felt like anyone could win, and I, cozily watching from home, couldn't get enough.
Burns started sliding backwards quickly, as did Adam Scott, but JJ Spaun, who was five-over for the round at one point, staged an incredible comeback to find himself within just one stroke of the lead.
For about 10 minutes, I was convinced Robert MacIntyre was going to take the title, but it was Spaun who clinched the trophy with a stunning final birdie-birdie finish.
After three and a half days of fairly mundane play, cloudy weather, and a flat leaderboard, the US Open transformed into an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. Players struggled mightily in the conditions, and spectators were treated to a one-of-a-kind golf experience.
Sure, it wasn't Rory lifting the green jacket at Augusta or even DeChambeau vs. McIlroy at Pinehurst, but it was certainly up there in terms of sheer entertainment value. Five players were tied for the lead, nobody was under-par, and even Jon Rahm’s completed score of four-over, a full eight shots behind Burns' 54-hole total, looked like it might have had a remote chance.
In the end, the weather at Oakmont stole the show. Despite its best efforts to ruin the event, it ultimately delivered a finale for the ages – a reminder that even in chaos, magic can happen.
The unpredictable weather turned the 2025 US Open into an exhilarating golf event, making the course more challenging than expected and creating a nail-biting finish. In this chaos, JJ Spaun clinched his first major title with a thrilling birdie-birdie finish, proving that even the most unexpected situations can lead to sports victories in golf.
