Jackson Koivun, just 21 years old, didn’t just win the 3M Open, he absolutely smashed it. In only his third start as a PGA Tour pro, this dude set a new tournament scoring record, finishing 25-under 259 to claim his first professional title. He wasn’t just good, he was *three strokes* better than the world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. Yeah, the Champ is officially here.
From Prodigy to Pro Dominance
This level of play isn’t exactly new for Koivun. His mom, Meghan, said he was already crushing division and multiplication in second grade because his teacher “didn’t know what else to do.” His golf coach, Fred Garcia, even nicknamed him “Champ” when Koivun was a kid. And on Sunday, that nickname became a reality on the PGA Tour. Koivun closed the 3M Open with a 5-under 66 at TPC Twin Cities, setting that ridiculous 25-under 259 record. He made his big move on Saturday, playing the final 10 holes in a jaw-dropping 9 under to shoot a tournament-record back-nine score of 28, carding a 61 and tying the 3M Open 54-hole scoring record. That put him up three strokes overall, six ahead of Scheffler heading into the final day.
Holding Off the World No. 1
Scheffler wasn’t going to make it easy, though. He threw down a final-round 63, finishing at 22 under and recording his fifth runner-up finish this season. Can you believe the guy hasn’t won in 182 days? Koivun started hot, birdying the first hole and three of the first six to stretch his lead to as many as six. But the crowd was buzzing, shouting “Scottie’s coming! Scottie’s coming!” Koivun stayed locked in, though. He holed a critical 15-foot par putt at the ninth, telling reporters, “If I missed that, then I only had a two-shot lead where last time I checked I had a five-shot lead. So, making that was huge for my momentum, just helped me keep it rolling on the back nine.” He played the final 42 holes bogey-free, adding a birdie at the par-5 12th and driving the short, par-4 16th to set up a 6-foot birdie. When he drained a 14-foot par putt at the last, you saw the emotions: a pumped fist and a hug with his dad. He said, “It never really feels like you’re going to win until you make the putt and that’s kind of when all the emotions come crashing down on you.”
This isn’t just a flash in the pan. Koivun’s been proving it for years. Last month, he led Auburn to its second national championship title in three years. He won six times in 13 collegiate starts in his final season, becoming the first player in collegiate golf history to win all three Player of the Year awards twice. He’s been “Champ” since he was a kid, and now the PGA Tour knows it too. What’s next for Koivun? The rest of the tour better get ready for this kid to keep rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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