This has been a strange old year on the PGA Tour. Rory’s victory at Augusta suggested that the season could turn into an epic duel between him and Scheffler (who stormed to victory in the first event of the season).
Incredibly, neither one of those guys has won a title since Rory’s Augusta heroics. McIlroy has been playing hide and seek with the PGA Tour organizers while Scheffler has discovered new and interesting ways to finish 2nd (he has five runner-up finishes this season). Aaron Rai and Ryan Fox defied the major championship odds to further add to the season’s surreal quality.
Another first-time winner
There have been no fewer than seven first-time champions this season. Jackson Koivun became the latest first-time winner this past weekend, holding off a trademark Scottie surge to win in just his 3rd PGA Tour start (matching Seve Ballesteros, of all people). Koivun was calmness personified at the 3M Open, shooting a Saturday 61 en route to a tournament record of 259. He drove the ball beautifully throughout the week and was relentless with his iron-play. I was most impressed with his Houdini-like escape-game from in and around the greens. The 21-year-old collegiate superstar just radiates composure and quiet magnetism (rare qualities for a guy just making his way on the tour). But one look at his amateur career tells you that this is no ordinary 21-year-old.
A collegiate king
Simply put, Jackson Koivun is one of the most accomplished golfers in collegiate history. The two-time national champ and three-time SEC individual champ entered mythic territory in 2024, becoming the first player to ever sweep all four major collegiate awards in a single season. The Auburn alumni soared to the top of the amateur rankings during his college days, winning nine times before turning pro. He developed a nice little ritual during college, writing three words on his golf glove to help him retain his focus. He has carried over that quaint habit into this PGA Tour routine, using the words ‘confidence’, ‘trust’ and ‘dominance’. And honestly, the ease with which he handled the pressure on Sunday tells me that he could be here to stay.
Early signs of quality
Koivun opted to turn pro after turning heads with a T23 finish at the US Open. There was honestly nothing left for him to prove in the world of amateur golf. He never got off to the most auspicious of starts on the PGA Tour, cut in his first professional outing at the John Deere Classic. But he showed bouncebackability in his very next outing, finishing in a tie for 10th at the ISCO Championship. You just got a sense that there was an air of inevitability about him. He almost remined me of Rafa Nadal when he took the ATP Tour by storm (you just needed to see one whipped forehand from Rafa to know that he was different gravy).
Koivun’s win in historical context
So, it took Koivun three professional starts to win on the tour. Where does that rank historically (amateur wins not included)? There have only ever been two players who have won in their first professional PGA Tour event. The first was Jim Benepe. Yes, that one. In all seriousness, Benepe won on debut at the 1988 Beatrice Western Open. Russell Henley emulated Benepe in the modern era, claiming his first PGA Tour win on debut at the 2013 Sony Open. Koivun joined the likes of Matthew Wolff and Matt McCarthy to win in just his 3rd professional start. Interestingly, it took Tiger five goes to register that first win. It somehow took Scottie Scheffler 71 starts to capture that elusive first title (a bit of a late bloomer).
The sky is the limit
I just think there’s something special about this kid. He stared down that Scheffler charge with the cool detachment of the Undertaker, blocking out the crowd’s chants of ‘Scottie is coming, Scottie is coming’. Perhaps what they should have been saying is ‘Jason is coming’. As Jim Nantes said, ‘Koivun has to be in strong consideration for the President’s Cup team’. He is the type of undeniable young talent that could bring new young fans to the game.
