Jackson Koivun, the 21-year-old golf phenom, isn’t just leading the 3M Open heading into Sunday, he absolutely tore up TPC Twin Cities with a mind-blowing 10-under 61 during Saturday’s third round. Dude is now sitting at 20-under for the tournament, and yeah, that’s his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. He started the day three shots back, but what he did next was straight-up historic.
This Kid’s Finish Was Legendary
Can we talk about that back nine for a second? Koivun played it in a tournament-record 28 shots, closing out his round with a stunning birdie-birdie-eagle run. You gotta be kidding me! The PGA Tour itself called it a “historic finish” and highlighted his first 54-hole lead and that insane back-nine scoring record. He’s carrying a three-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo into the final round. Michael Brennan, Chandler Phillips, and Ben Kohles are all another shot behind at 16-under. This kid is making his mark in only his third professional start; that’s just insane to think about.
From Amateur Ace to Pro Star in Waiting
So, who is this guy? Jackson Koivun, born May 23, 2005, in San Jose, California, was the No. 1-ranked amateur in the country. His parents, George and Meghan Koivun, must be hyped watching their only child light up the course like this. He apparently beat his dad on the course when he was only seven years old, which tells you everything you need to know about his talent. The family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before his senior year of high school, and he graduated as the top golf recruit in the 2023 class, with tons of scholarship offers. But Auburn? That was his spot, and man, did it pay off. His freshman season in 2023-24 was one of the greatest ever in NCAA history. Koivun won the SEC individual championship by six strokes, tied for second at the NCAA Championship, and helped Auburn snatch their first men’s golf national title. He went 7-0 in match play and was outside the top six only once in 13 starts. He was the first freshman to win SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year in the same season, and the first player in college golf history to sweep all four major individual honors in one year: the Fred Haskins Award, Ben Hogan Award, Jack Nicklaus Award, and Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award. And it wasn’t a fluke! He was named SEC Player of the Year three times, a conference first, and snagged three consecutive SEC individual championships.
Now, he’s one round away from making his arrival official on the PGA Tour. Can he close it out? Sunday is going to be electric; get ready!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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