Jackson Koivun has had a stellar collegiate career. He is a two-time Ben Hogan Award winner, a multi-time Jack Nicklaus Award winner, and a Haskins Award winner. In fact, he was a first-team All-American all three seasons in college, where he piled up 11 collegiate victories. These awards and victories meant that the World No. 1 amateur was always destined for the PGA Tour. But as he prepares to take that next step, one piece of advice from Jack Nicklaus stands out above the rest.

“Well, the first thing you do is the same thing you’re doing right now is you go win. That’s how you get to where you’re going. Don’t jump over the progression. You know, you may be ready, but a little seasoning won’t hurt you,” Nicklaus said during the 2024 Memorial Tournament, when Koivun made his first PGA Tour appearance.

Although not exactly a mentor, Jack Nicklaus has given advice to Koivun on multiple occasions. The 73-time PGA Tour winner asked him to trust the process and not skip ahead in his career. In fact, he himself has handed over many awards to Koivun during his amateur years.

For instance, the veteran hands over the Division I Jack Nicklaus Award to the national collegiate Player of the Year at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Koivun of Auburn University has won it twice, in 2024 and then in 2026. He joined Phil Mickelson and Bryce Molder as the only players to have earned the honor twice.

Jackson Koivun is making his professional debut by securing his PGA Tour card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated. He locked up the final point with a T4 finish at the 2025 NCAA Championship. However, he still chose to return to Auburn for his junior year. But now, he has decided to skip his senior year and follow his dream of playing on the PGA Tour.

“I’m grateful to everyone at Auburn University for giving me the most incredible college experience I could’ve ever imagined. From bringing home a pair of national championships to the late nights and early mornings grinding at the facility and competing alongside guys I’ll call brothers for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. With that being said, I’ve decided to forego my senior year to pursue my lifelong dream of playing on the PGA TOUR,” the World No. 1 amateur said.

While he will now make his PGA Tour debut, this won’t be his first experience playing with the professionals. In fact, he recently played in the 2026 US Open. Many elites, including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, and others, missed the cut at Shinnecock Hills. However, Jackson Koivun secured a T23 finish. He was the top amateur performer alongside Ryder Cowan. With rounds of 72-71-74-68, he finished at 5-over 285, one shot less than Rory McIlroy.

The 21-year-old has already played in 10 events on the PGA Tour until now. Of these, he made the cut in 8 and finished in the top 25 in five of them. His best finish came at the Procore Championship 2025, where he carded rounds of 67-66-68-71 for 16-under 272 to finish tied for 4th on the leaderboard.

Jackson Koivun already has plenty of experience against PGA Tour fields. And now, he enters his professional debut with confidence, a decorated resume, and Jack Nicklaus’ advice to make a big name for himself.