June 18, 2025 

Welcome to the fifth edition of The Tee Sheet - your Wednesday read on what matters in the world of golf right now.

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Let’s dive in!

Official World Golf Ranking Tracker & Movers

• Big Movers Up: JJ Spaun, Carlos Ortiz, Jon Rahm, and Cam Young rise after strong US Open showings. Shaun Norris breaks into the Top 100 after a DP World Tour win

• Top 10: JJ Spaun rises to World No. 8 after his US Open win, Hovland rises back into the Top 10, Bryson and Hideki fall out of the Top 10

Note: Rising / Falling includes biggest movers in the OWGR Top 150

FedEx Cup Points Tracker

• Top 10 Movements: JJ Spaun rises 10 spots following the US Open victory, Ludvig Aberg drops out of the Top 10 

PGA Tour Money List Tracker

• Top 10 Movements: Once again - JJ Spaun flies into the Top 3, and the rest of the field drops a spot. Shane Lowry falls out of the Top 10

Tourney Recap

2025 US Open Recap:

Spaun Survives Oakmont, Delivers the Career-Defining Moment

JJ Spaun’s Unforgettable Triumph at Oakmont

In a tournament defined by relentless challenges, dramatic shifts, and intense weather, JJ Spaun emerged as the unlikely hero of the 125th US Open at Oakmont Country Club - the last man standing on a leaderboard that resembled a crash site by Sunday afternoon.

Overcoming a tumultuous Sunday start and capitalizing on a pivotal weather delay, Spaun secured his first major title with a final-round 72 (+2), finishing at 1-under par - making him the sole player to break par for the championship.

Rollercoaster Final Round 

Spaun’s bogey-free 66 on Thursday set him up well, and he was tied with Adam Scott one back from leader Sam Burns (who was 4-under) heading into Sunday. Spaun started Sunday by bogeying 5 of his first 6 holes, and looked totally out of contention. However, a 95-minute rain delay may have saved him - Spaun came back out totally composed. Settled. Mentally dialed. Returning to the course with renewed focus, Spaun birdied 12, 14, and made an incredible birdie on 17 thanks to a near-perfect tee shot, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Spaun was one shot ahead of Robert MacIntyre, the clubhouse leader, and needed par on 18 to win it all. He got on the putting surface in two and faced a 64-foot birdie putt. Viktor Hovland (Spaun’s Sunday playing partner) put one in the exact same spot and gave Spaun a nice look at the line. He stepped up and absolutely buried the putt. US Open champ.

Spaun’s Win: Not a Fluke, Just Earned 

This wasn’t some lucky week. Spaun has been trending all year. He finished runner-up at The Players earlier this season (losing to Rory in a playoff) and played well at the Truist and Charles Schwab. This win likely locks up a Ryder Cup spot, vaults him up the OWGR rankings, and rewrites his ceiling. At 34, he’s not the youngest breakout winner, but that might be why this felt so earned.

Oakmont Delivers (Again)

Let’s be clear: this was one of the toughest US Open setups in years. The course was relentless and the Sunday weather made things interesting. Only one player finished under-par. The cut was +7. It was pure, old-school, US Open golf.

Spaun didn’t go out there and overpower Oakmont. He just outlasted it. In doing so, he walked off with the trophy - and a totally different career.

Who Was in the Mix, and Who Wasn’t

• Robert MacIntyre played maybe the steadiest golf of anyone in contention - 68 on Sunday, solo second at +1, and absolutely looked the part. Not flashy, just solid - keep an eye on him at the Open Championship in July

• Sam Burns led going into Sunday, but couldn’t hold on - a closing 78 dropped him back to T7 at +4. It was a collapse, but one that still felt like part of a bigger trajectory - he’s not far off

• Scottie Scheffler just didn’t have it - he backdoored his way into T7, but it was a grind - especially with the putter

• Rory McIlroy snuck in a Sunday 67, but the early damage was too much to overcome. The talking heads of the golf world are laser-focused on whether his motivation is there after winning the Green Jacket

• Cam Young and Tyrell Hatton both finished T4 at +3. Young kept himself in it all week after grinding to qualify, and Hatton had his moments as well. Both felt like they were one hot stretch away from winning the whole thing

• Missed Cuts: Defending champ Bryson DeChambeau never looked comfortable in there. Ludvig Aberg didn’t have it this week. Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Sepp Straka, and Justin Thomas were among those who missed out on weekend action

US Open Quick Stats:

• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green Leaders

  1. Collin Morikawa (+4.03)

  2. Viktor Hovland (+3.70)

  3. Carlos Ortiz (+3.13)

• Strokes Gained: Putting Leaders

  1. Matt Fitzpatrick (+2.74)

  2. JJ Spaun (+2.63)

  3. Cam Young (+1.99)

Note: Excludes players who missed the cut

Tourney Preview

2025 Travelers Championship Preview:

Final Signature Event

After the Oakmont bloodbath, the Tour heads out to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship - the final Signature Event of the season, and for a lot of players, one last big-money, big-field shot to close on a high.

At just under 6,900 yards, TPC River Highlands asks questions in the margins - angles, tempo, strategy - and it always delivers drama. The finishing stretch (15-18) is one of the sneakiest rollercoasters on Tour: reachable par-4s, water, and lots of risk-reward.

This year’s field? Absolutely stacked. Scottie. Rory. Xander. Aberg. Viktor. Morikawa. JT. This is a serious tournament with a Signature Event purse ($20M) and a competitive setup that rarely hands out soft wins.

A Quick Look Back: Scottie vs. Tom in 2024

Last year’s Travelers delivered one of the most compelling - and chaotic - Sundays of the season.

Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim went toe-to-toe through regulation and into a playoff. Scheffler closed the door and won it during the playoff in a great battle. The real twist came on the 72nd hole. As the final group reached the 18th green, climate protesters stormed the green, throwing red and white powder and smoke all over the place - this all led to a brief delay, and Tom Kim had to wait to putt to force the playoff, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats.

Scottie may not have won at Oakmont, but he backdoored his way into a top 10 during a week where he was off. If the putter behaves, he’s the guy to beat (again). No one has been more automatic this year, and he’s a real threat to win this for the 2nd year in a row.

We’ll see what this weekend has in store.

Travelers Championship Quick Stats:

• Course: TPC River Highlands

• Par: 70

• Distance: 6,844 yards

• Purse: $20,000,000

• Recent Champs: Scottie Scheffler (2024), Keegan Bradley (2023), Xander Schauffele (2022), Harris English (2021)

Picks & Players to Watch

• Top 20: Harry Hall (+200), Daniel Berger (+120)

• Top 10: Xander (+135), Justin Thomas (+220)

• Longshot: Cam Davis Top 10 (+1200)

Disclaimer: The picks and predictions in The Tee Sheet are for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Ryder Cup Rankings Tracker

Team USA: 

• JJ Spaun is the big mover here, and is likely a lock to make the team

• Keegan and Team USA have their work cut out for them to decide on who the captain’s picks go to…  

Team Europe:

• Robert MacIntyre vaults into auto-qualification territory after a solo 2nd finish at the US Open

The Weekly Rundown

Stories to Know This Week

💼 PGA Tour Leadership Shift

• Quietly but meaningfully, change is coming to the top of the PGA Tour. Jay Monahan is expected to step down by the end of 2026, with Brian Rolapp - a former NFL exec - lined up to take over after a transition period

• Monahan’s time will be remembered most during the LIV saga: the bans, the reversals, the surprise handshake with the PIF, and the two-year (and counting) stalemate that followed. Whatever Rolapp brings, it starts with rebuilding trust 

💰 Bryson Says He’s Staying with LIV

• Bryson DeChambeau, despite some speculation, says he’s not planning on going anywhere. His deal with LIV wraps next year, but he told media that he’s “not looking to leave” and that LIV “sees value in me.”

😢 Phil’s Last US Open?

• Phil Mickelson shot 74-74 at Oakmont and missed the cut by a shot at 55 years old. With his exemption from the 2021 PGA Championship set to end, Mickelson acknowledged there’s a “high likelihood” this was his final US Open

• A 6-time runner-up in the tournament, this was the one he couldn’t grab

Player Spotlight

JJ Spaun

Quick Bio

• Age: 34

• Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

JJ Spaun isn’t the loudest guy on Tour - but after what he just pulled off at Oakmont, he might be one of the toughest.

The Story

In 2024, Spaun was struggling - on the course and off. A misdiagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in 2018 led to years of ineffective treatment until he was correctly diagnosed with Type 1 in 2021. The health issues, combined with poor form, saw him plummet in the world rankings. He was contemplating retirement, thinking, “maybe this is it.”

The turnaround has been remarkable. He posted top finishes at the Sony Open and Cognizant Classic, and narrowly missed out on the Players Championship title earlier in the season.

Now ranked No. 8 in the world, Spaun’s story is one of resilience, quiet determination, and seizing the moment.

Author’s Note

That’s a wrap on this week’s Tee Sheet.

The US Open gave us everything we ask from a major - difficulty, chaos, and one career-making moment. Travelers is up next, and the field is stacked.

📬 One favor as we grow: If you’re enjoying The Tee Sheet, forward it to a friend, share it, or just mention it next time you’re on the range with someone.

Thanks again for reading - more to come. Same time next week!