Top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre’s agony in going so close to success in the US Open at Oakmont has been eased by the assurance he will be pulling on the European Ryder Cup team colours for a second time later this year at Bethpage Park Black.
MacIntyre went so close to becoming the first Scottish-born golfer in a century to win the US Open trophy and a first-born golfer since 1999 to win a major championship before losing out by two shots to American J J Spaun.
Spaun, 31, emerged a weather-delayey final round sensationally holing a f64-foot putt for birdie on the final hole to capture a maiden major despite posting a closing round of 72 but good enough by two shots at one-under par and the only player in the field to break par over the four rounds.
BOB’S @usopengolf AGONY EASED BY 2025 @RyderCupEurope CERTAINTY …..
As top@robert1lefty @GlencruittenG jumps to No. 3 @RyderCupEurope qualifying table
Read: https://t.co/6jMyUDswuQ
Getty
✅ @TOURMISS @Record_Sport pic.twitter.com/NE9Nzs85Sz
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) June 16, 2025
Spaun had bogeyed five of his first six holes in the final roto fall five shots back of 54-hole leader Sam Burns.
After a 95-minute weather delay, Spaun regrouped and made birdies on the 12th, 14th, 17th, and 18th holes while Burns struggled on the back nine. Spaun was the only golfer to finish under par at 1-under 279.
MacIntyre started the day seven shots off the lead but gave himself every chance of claiming victory by shooting a stunning 68 in the weather-affected final round to set the clubhouse target at one over par.
With Spaun making a birdie at Oakmont Country Club’s 17th hole to take a one-shot lead to the 18th tee, MacIntyre knew anything less than a closing par from the American would keep his chances alive.
But the home favourite instead drained his 64-foot putt for a birdie to clinch a two-shot victory, and MacIntyre acting the true sportsmand in applauing the putt while watching TV coverage in the Oakmont Scorer’s room.
Class act
Runner-up Robert MacIntyre was speechless after J.J. Spaun’s winning putt @USOpenGolf.pic.twitter.com/8u8Ni09ogZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 16, 2025
After starting with two bogeys in his first three holes, three-time DP World Tour winner MacIntyre got the shots straight back with an eagle from 58 feet on the fifth.
He then recovered from a bogey on the sixth with a birdie at the ninth to turn in 35.
A 90-minute weather delay did not appear to do the 28-year-old Ryder Cup star any harm as he kept the bogeys off his card on the back nine, birdieing the 14th and 17th to earn a share of the lead late on.
But as Spaun pulled off his big finish, MacIntyre was made to wait for his Major breakthrough.
The champion Scot said: “Obviously I didn’t get off to the best of starts. I was two over through three and then holed a lovely putt on the fourth, par five for eagle.
“That kind of settled me down. That got me into somewhat of a groove and back in the golf tournament.
“Then the back nine was just all about fighting. Obviously the rain delay. My previous rain delay comebacks haven’t been strong.
“Today was a day that I said to myself, ‘Why not? Why can’t it be me today’ when I was going round, and I just trusted myself, trusted my caddie Mike, trusted all the work that I’ve done.”
MacIntyre’s stunning effort has seen the Oban golfer leap seven places to fourth on the European Ryder Cup spoints table behind the leading trio of automatic qualifiers of Rory McIlroy, Tyrrelll Hatton and Shane Lowry.
