Jackson Koivun
Tanner Pearson, NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Jackson Koivun, the world’s No. 1 amateur, will turn pro and accept PGA Tour membership after competing in this week’s U.S. Open, he announced last Friday.
The 21-year-old, who recently led Auburn University to its second NCAA title in three years, will forgo his senior season. He will make his professional debut at the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, in early July, having earned his tour card last year via the PGA Tour University Accelerated program.
“I’m grateful to everyone at Auburn University for giving me the most incredible college experience I could’ve ever imagined,” Koivun said. “From bringing home a pair of national championships to the late nights and early mornings grinding at the facility and competing alongside guys I’ll call brothers for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Koivun, who won 11 tournaments in three seasons at Auburn, swept the college player of the year awards (Ben Hogan, Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus) for the second time this year, having first done so as a freshman in 2024. He has posted three top-10 finishes in nine PGA Tour starts as an amateur.
Koivun’s U.S. Open exemption as the 2025 Mark McCormack Award winner is contingent on him competing as an amateur. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul were named to Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026” list released last Tuesday. READ MORE
The qualification process for golf at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles is officially underway, with Olympic Golf Ranking points counting toward qualification for the women’s competition as of June 8 and for the men’s competition beginning June 22. READ MORE
Private equity firm KSL Capital Partners closed on its acquisition of Invited Clubs last Tuesday, Golf Inc. reported. The transaction is valued between $2.6 and $3.0 billion, the report said. Invited, formerly known as ClubCorp, is the largest owner and operator of private clubs in the United States. READ MORE
The PGA of America named Jeff Clennon its chief commercial officer and Paul Stephens its chief financial officer, it announced last Tuesday. READ MORE
The USGA has selected 25 undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the 2026 Pathways Discover Program, an immersive internship experience, during this week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, it announced last Thursday. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity