Less than a year ago JJ Spaun thought about quitting golf. On Sunday evening, under the driving rain and at the conclusion of a truly astonishing battle, he became the US Open champion.

In time, we will detail how watching a rom-com on a flight to London last December rerouted his fate towards this two-shot victory over ballsy, brilliant Bob MacIntyre.

But first to the astonishing tussle that decided the 125th edition of this tournament.

Spaun was in there, so too the overnight leader Sam Burns, and Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Scott, and Carlos Ortiz. One behind them was a Scot who had stayed beneath the radar all week –MacIntyre. More fool to those of us who ignored him.

What followed was a minor classic in the season’s third major, with Spaun emerging from the chaos to seal the title at the age of 34, three years after his one and only PGA Tour title.

American JJ Spaun overcame a nightmare start to win his first major at Oakmont

Spaun celebrates with his family after his incredible putt on the 18th green

As the 25th ranked golfer in the world, we should caution against overhyping the magnitude of the shock – he took Rory McIlroy to a play-off at the Players Championship in March and has been in the top two of the field here since the first day.

But in the context of his round, the comeback was immense – he bogeyed five of the first six holes before resetting himself during a storm delay. In the context of his career, it was even greater.

At one stage, in 2018, he lost 50 pounds in weight after a diagnosis for diabetes. More recently, so last December, he considered quitting but was inspired by Paul Bettany’s character in the film ‘Wimbledon’, which was the tale of a bang-average, ageing underdog having his day on the tennis court. Spaun’s script is better.

Playing the final 12 holes in three under was fabulous for the conditions and, more so, the circumstances.

But let’s spare a word on MacIntyre, whose 68 threatened a magnificent upset. Reaching the clubhouse at one over par, he had every chance of leaving with the title, but could only watch as Spaun hit a sublime drive at the short 17th to set up a birdie, and then followed it with a monster 65-foot putt on the last for the two-shot win. He met the pressure with the force of freight train.

MacIntyre’s highest career finish will greatly assist his chances of a second Ryder Cup appearance, though that will be scant consolation initially. Similar feelings will be experienced by Hatton, who bogeyed the last two holes to finish in a tie for fourth on three over after an exceptional challenge. He carded a 72.

With Hovland finishing third on two over, it was a good week for European captain Luke Donald; it was better for Spaun.

To the tale of the round, drama was guaranteed on account of Oakmont being that kind of place. No lead can be safe when a course takes such vindictive pleasure in battering golfers.

But there was scoring potential – Jon Rahm had already demonstrated as much with a 67 that secured passage through the backdoor to a top 10. More surprisingly, Rory McIlroy matched the round, if not the final placing.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre finished second after a round of 68

The leaders, fronted by Burns on four under at the start of play, had no such joy. Their game was one of stemming the blood loss. After seven holes, each of Burns, Scott and Hovland had dropped two shots and Spaun had been blown five.

He was also the most unlucky – having floated a beautiful 90-yard pitch into the second, with a short birdie putt certain to follow, he could only stare on in horror as his ball struck the flag stick and rolled most of the way back to his feet. It contributed to brutal front nine.

With all the turbulence among contenders, one man was moving smoothly. That was Hatton – he opened with a missed par putt from four feet, regained the shot with a 290-yard scorcher to tap-in range on the par-five fourth and then held steady.

Having started five behind Burns, Hatton was only three back at the point of the storm delay with 10 holes to play. Returning to a stodgy course, he immediately saved par from a bunker on the ninth but then drove into a ditch at the next and slipped back to two over.

The relief for the chasers, led by Scott on level par, was that Burns hit a wild drive as he wrapped up the front nine and slipped to one under. His response? He faded a 175-yard approach to the tricky back-right pin on the 10th and sank the 10-footer to go two under.

His buffer was back to two, but a modicum of calamity followed on the 11th. Burns had not shot worse than par on the hole all week, but dumped his second shot to the raised green in the face of a bunker, hacked his way out into nasty rough, and carded a double. Scott holed a 13-foot putt to escape with bogey and the lead was one.

This was the point when the tournament took a turn towards its remarkable endgame.

In the space of the next 15 minutes, Scott would be joined on one over by each of Hatton, Spaun and Carlos Ortiz, with MacIntyre and Hovland a further stroke back. When Burns missed from six feet on the 12th, there was a five-way tie. Brilliant madness.

Spaun, he of the front-nine capitulation, made the first break for it – he rolled in a 22-footer to back to even par. And then Scott went the other way with a bogey and Ortiz was worse off from a double.

When MacIntyre, predominantly under the radar all week, went on to birdie the 17th, he joined the cluster on one over. Barring the eagle he had hit the fourth hole, he had barely featured in the broadcasts.

His move on the 17th took on extra meaning when Spaun bogeyed the 15th, meaning a four-way tie on one over – Spaun, MacIntyre, Hatton and Burns. Parring the last, the Scot had set the clubhouse lead.

Hatton had a chance to strike at the 16th, a par three, but after carrying 250 yards to 10 feet he missed the putt.

He kept his feelings under control, though it was a momentary calm – the explosion came on the penultimate hole, the driveable 17th, when he went for broke and found the downside of the rough lining a greenside bunkers. Two botched chips and he angrily smashed his wedge into the turf before leaving with a bogey. Another at the last ended his adventure.

Burns began his fall soon after by doubling the 15th – he would finish tied for seventh on four over after an ugly 78 – and from there it was over to Spaun.

Playing the 17th, he succeeded where Hatton had failed and drilled his way up the hill to leave a 20-foot chance. The first putt missed, the second one dropped, and he was ahead by one. MacIntyre’s hopes now clung to an error on the 18th that never came.