Former Auburn golfer Jackson Koivun makes history in first PGA win
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A historic weekend for Jackson Koivun was capped off with a par putt to secure the rookie’s first PGA trophy and a nice pay day in just his third professional start.
The former Auburn star is just a few weeks removed from winning a national championship with the Tigers. Now, he’s already beating the best players in the world.
Keep reading to learn more about Koivun’s performance at the 3M Open + how the golf world reacted to his historic win.
Koivun sets 3M Open record after bogey-free weekend
Jackson Koivun was in the mix after the first two rounds in Minnesota but he shot into the lead with a 61 on Saturday which included a pair of eagles on the back nine. His 28 on the back nine set a new course record.
But Sunday did not come without some drama as the world’s top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler put pressure on Koivun.
“All throughout the crowd I kept hearing, ‘Scottie’s coming. Scottie’s coming.’ I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could.”
Jackson Koivun
Koivun held off Scheffler, finishing with a tournament record 25-under par to beat the former Georgia golfer by three strokes. The 21-year-old became the youngest player to win a PGA tournament with the World No. 1 finishing as the runner-up.
Over the last 36 holes of the tournament, Koivun had:
- 2 eagles
- 11 birdies
- 23 pars
- 0 bogeys
With the win, Koivun is the fourth fastest rookie to ever win a PGA event (three starts).
Koivun earned $1.58 million for the win and jumped 124 spots in the FedEx Cup standings to 70th.
World reacts to Jackson Koivun’s win
The golf and Auburn worlds collided Sunday after Koivun made his final putt, sending congratulations to the rookie and realizing there could be plenty more wins to come for Koivun.
Here’s just a few of the reactions:
“Anytime you’re trying to win for the first time, it’s awfully difficult, especially for a young guy coming out of college. I think that shows not only how talented of a player he is, but the mental strength he has as well.”
Scottie Sheffler
“We certainly knew Jackson Koivun was going to make an impression on the (PGA Tour) but we didn’t know how soon. And not sure we thought this soon! What (Jackson Koivun) did this week at the 3M Open was simply a great performance… That’s pretty darn good for a young guy and pretty good for the game of golf. It’s refreshing to see the young guys come along. I love to see the new blood come in and enjoy success.”
Jack Nicklaus
A dream come true… War Eagle.
Jim Nantz on the broadcast after Koivun’s final putt
“So proud of Jackson and this win early in his professional career,” Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. “He’s a phenomenal young man. He wants to be the best player in the world and this is a step in that direction. His mindset and mentality will continue to set him apart from other players and he’s an elite competitor. He loves to compete and it showed this week.”
Nick Clinard, Auburn golf coach
“Congratulations to Jackson Koivun!! What great poise and composure to hold off one of the best to win his first PGA while breaking the course record! War Eagle”
Jason Campbell, former Auburn quarterback
Of course, Koivun may have had the best reaction to winning his first tournament.
