Jackson Koivun hit 13 of 14 fairways in the final round of the 3M Open.
Andrew Wevers, Getty Images
Major championship season is over, but a new era in golf may have begun Sunday in Minnesota.
With his victory at the 3M Open, Jackson Koivun signaled unmistakably that he is the game’s next big thing.
Koivun, 21, won his first PGA Tour title in only his third start since turning professional a month ago, holding off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in the bargain. With rounds of 64-68-61-66 at TPC Twin Cities, the former top-ranked amateur set the tournament scoring record at 25-under-par 259 and finished three strokes ahead of Scheffler, who applied heat with a closing 63.
“I played a great round of golf today,” Koivun said. “Definitely had some nerves coming down on 18. All throughout the crowd I kept hearing, ‘Scottie’s coming, Scottie’s coming.’ I just tried to tone that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could. Was able to find some good putts coming down the stretch.”
“I love golf, it’s everything I do. I have a tough time getting away from it.”
Jackson Koivun
Koivun didn’t make a bogey in his last 42 holes.
A two-time team national champion with Auburn University (2024, ’26), Koivun had an amateur career that stacks up with the best ever. As a freshman, Koivun became the first player in history to sweep the collegiate player-of-the-year awards (Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus), and he did it again this past season as a junior after winning six times in 13 starts. He earned a tour card after his sophomore year via the PGA Tour University Accelerated program and accepted it after turning pro following this year’s U.S. Open.
Koivun signaled his potential by posting three top-10 finishes in 10 PGA Tour starts as an amateur. As is written on his glove, Koivun always looks to “dominate.” But it’s his love of the game that drives him.
“I love golf, it’s everything I do,” he said. “I have a tough time getting away from it.”
After the first round, Koivun sat two strokes behind Ben Kohles, who shot a bogey-free, 9-under 62. Koivun played bogey-free with seven birdies.
While Koivun shot a 68 to move to 10-under on Friday, the story of the day was Michael Kim. Largely known for his comedic tweets, Kim shot a 12-under 59, the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
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Kim’s putter was on fire; he needed only 21 putts all day. He made 12 birdies and closed out his round with four in a row, capped by a 24-foot putt on the 18th hole to take the solo lead at 14-under.
“I kind of remember thinking on 18 that you have to go for it,” Kim said. “Sixty or 61 doesn’t really make too much of a difference.”
When Kim managed to shoot only 1-under 70 in his third round, Koivun took control. After a 2-under front nine, Koivun broke the tournament back-nine scoring record with an 8-under 28 that included four birdies and two eagles (Nos. 12 and 18). His Saturday 61 gave him a three-stroke lead at 20-under.
On Sunday, the rookie immediately set the tone by hitting his 100-yard approach shot on No. 1 to 17 inches for a tap-in birdie. An 11-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole stretched his lead to five strokes.
But it was far from over, and roars from the crowd announced Scheffler’s arrival into contention. Three straight birdies on Nos. 10-12 got him to 6-under for the day and 20-under for the tournament. In a critical moment, Koivun, at 23-under, faced a 14-footer to save par on No. 9 and buried it.
Koivun restored his four-stroke lead by getting up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 12th hole. When Scheffler birdied the 16th and 18th holes to finish at 22-under, Koivun had a two-shot lead with four to play.
On the 16th hole, Koivun drove the green and two-putted for birdie to go up three. And despite hitting his driver fat on the 18th hole, one of Koivun’s few displays of nerves all day, he drained a 14-foot putt to save par and clinch victory, which moved him to 70th in the FedEx Cup standings, in line to make the playoffs.
Everett Munez
