He stood just one shot off the lead. The crowd held its breath. And then, J.J. Spaun drained a 64-foot dagger on the 72nd hole. The putt that crushed Robert MacIntyre’s dream. A heartbreaker. A near-miracle undone by a moment of magic. The Scotsman came to Oakmont chasing his first major. He left with a runner-up finish. And the respect of the golf world.
MacIntyre had climbed his way into contention after starting the final round tied for ninth at 3-over par. The brutal Oakmont layout hadn’t spared many, but MacIntyre had something no one else brought on the weekend. Composure. His rounds of 69 and 68 were the only sub-70 scores on both Saturday and Sunday. With every hole, he chipped away. He knew he was the hunter, not the hunted.
Robert MacIntyre Rallies With Weekend Surge But Falls Two Shots Short of J.J. Spaun’s Stunning Finish
It didn’t begin that way. Earlier in the week, the course got to him. He made the cut at 1-over, but Oakmont’s grinding setup had started wearing on his mind. A timely chat with his sports psychologist reset everything. He was reminded that everyone was feeling it. That the ones who manage the stress best are the ones left standing. MacIntyre did exactly that. He emerged as the only player to break par among Sunday’s final 17 pairings.
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By the back nine, the pressure had flipped. Big names collapsed. Sam Burns and Adam Scott shot a combined 17-over. MacIntyre didn’t flinch. After a long weather delay on the 11th, he returned sharp. He played bogey-free the rest of the way. He birdied the 14th from eight feet. Then the 17th, where he got up and down after just missing the green on the drivable par 4. That moved him to 1-over and into a share of the lead.
A gallant effort from Robert MacIntyre ⛳️ 🏴
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) June 16, 2025
The Oban man goes agonisingly close to being the first player from Scotland to win the US Open in 100 years.
A 65-foot putt from JJ Spaun seals a maiden victory for the American, as MacIntyre finishes second.#BBCGolf pic.twitter.com/KxYqdaT96V
Then came the moment. MacIntyre hit the fairway and green on 18. Left with a 33-footer to post the clubhouse lead. He rolled it with perfect intent, but it stopped just two feet short. He tapped in. At that point, only Spaun could catch him. And Spaun didn’t just catch him. He birdied 17. Then poured in that ridiculous 64-foot birdie bomb on 18 to win at 1-under. MacIntyre had nothing left to do but watch.
Still, he leaves Oakmont with plenty to hold onto. This was his first top-five in a major after 18 tries. It couldn’t have come at a better time, either. With the Ryder Cup looming and his place still uncertain, this week might just have punched his ticket back.
