Back in January, Grant Horvat walked off the course convinced that he had just played with golf’s next big thing. The American golfer and YouTuber couldn’t stop raving about Jackson Koivun’s game, calling it “unreal” and predicting a bright future. Six months later, that prediction has aged remarkably well. 

On July 25, Jackson Koivun lit up TPC Twin Cities with a brilliant 9-under 61 in the third round of the 3M Open, taking a three-shot lead at 20-under par. His sensational back-nine 28 also set a new tournament record, putting him in prime position to chase the winner’s share of the $8.8 million purse.

For someone who only turned professional last month after the U.S. Open and entered the season as the world’s top-ranked amateur following a standout career at Auburn, the performance made the moment even more remarkable. 

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3451

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Koivun entered the PGA Tour as the world’s top-ranked amateur after putting together one of the finest seasons in college golf history at Auburn. In 2024, he captured the SEC Championship, finished runner-up at the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship and became the first player ever to sweep all four of the sport’s major collegiate awards from the Haskins, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Phil Mickelson awards.

The leaderboard only made Koivun’s rise stand out further. The 21-year-old finished the day ahead of some of the biggest names in golf. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sat in ninth place, six shots back, while eight-time PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel was tied for sixth at 15-under. Koivun’s closest challengers were Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles, who shared second place at 17-under.

Despite holding the advantage, Koivun wasn’t getting ahead of himself. Speaking after the round, he made it clear that his mindset wouldn’t change heading into Sunday’s final round.

 “I’m sure some of the pins will be tucked, and we’ve got a lot of great players behind me, but I’m just going to stick to my game plan and try to smile.”

That calm approach has earned plenty of admiration. As he heads into the final round with the lead, praise has continued to pour in, including from one of his own competitors, an eight-time PGA Tour winner.

Golfer Jackson Koivun earns some motivation from his rival 

Grant Horvat spotted the potential months ago. Now, Billy Horschel is seeing exactly why Jackson Koivun was one of the most talked-about amateurs before turning pro. After watching the 21-year-old dominate the first three rounds at the 3M Open, the eight-time PGA Tour winner had nothing but praise when Amanda Balionis asked about the rising star. And Horschel didn’t hold back.

“He’s a really good kid, and he’s a really good putter, and he’s a really, really good player, and it’s not shocking me one bit to see the success that he’s having so far,” Billy said. 

In the meantime, Balionis asked whether a veteran like Horschel would offer Koivun any advice heading into the final round. Instead of handing out pointers, Horschel praised the youngster’s maturity, describing his approach as “veteran-like.” He also revealed that one of his close friends in the college coaching ranks believes Koivun is the best putter he has ever coached.

Now, those words speak volumes about the confidence Koivun has inspired across the golf world. Now, with a tournament lead in hand and history within reach, all eyes turn to Sunday, where the young star has a chance to complete a dream breakthrough.