BLAINE, Minn. – In only his third tournament as a professional, former Auburn All-American Jackson Koivun earned his first PGA Tour victory Sunday in the 3M Open at the TPC Twin Cities, just five weeks after his final amateur round.
“I played a great round of golf today,” Koivun said following his final putt. “I definitely had some nerves down 18, but I was able to find some big putts down the stretch.”
“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.”
With his trusty WDE yardage notebook in his back pocket, Koivun set the tournament record with a 25-under par 259, concluding four consecutive rounds in the 60s with a final-round 66 Sunday, punctuating a 15-foot par putt on 18 with a celebratory fist pump. He went 42 holes without a bogie to conclude the tournament.
“I’m just trying to soak it all in,” Koivun said. “It really never really feels like you’re going to win until you make the putt and that’s when all the emotions come crashing in. I think I did a really good job this week staying levelheaded. I’m just excited the way I played this week.”
Koivun held off Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, to earn his first professional victory in his 13th Tour event, including 10 as an amateur. Scheffler shot a final-round 8-under 63 to finish minus-22, three shots behind Koivun.
“That is what we train for,” Koivun said on going against Scheffler. “That is a position we all strive to be in. I knew where I stood at the turn and what I had to do to get the win.”
By winning in his third professional start, Koivun becomes the second fastest to earn a PGA Tour victory.
The Chapel Hill, North Carolina product took a three-shot lead into Sunday’s final round after setting a tournament record Saturday by shooting a 28 on the back nine, including a pair of eagles. His third-round score of 61 was one shot off the tournament record.
Koivun concluded his amateur career last month in the 126th U.S. Open, finishing 23rd and tying for low amateur.
He wrapped up his unparalleled Auburn career June 3 by helping Auburn win its second NCAA championship in three years.
Koivun won individual SEC championships in each of his three seasons on the Plains, becoming the first SEC golfer to threepeat in six decades.
He earned his Tour membership at the end of his sophomore season through the PGA Tour U Accelerated program, which awards collegiate players with points based on outstanding accomplishments in the sport, eventually earning more than twice the 20 points required for Tour membership.
Koivun won a program-record 11 tournaments for Auburn, tyin for the most in SEC history and tied for the seventh most in NCAA history.
Auburn’s active record holder in 16 categories, Koivun became the first man to win all three national player of the year awards (Haskins, Hogan, Nicklaus) twice, as a freshman in 2024 and a junior in 2026.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
History Maker! Auburn's Jackson Koivun wins PGA Tour's 3M Open
