Jackson Koivun’s Remarkable Rise From NCAA Champion to Presidents Cup

Just 112 days after helping Auburn win the NCAA men’s golf championship, 21-year-old Jackson Koivun is preparing for his Presidents Cup debut, a remarkable progression that has taken him from college golf to the U.S. team in a matter of months.

Koivun will partner Justin Thomas against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria in Thursday’s opening fourballs session. The occasion carries added significance because four years ago, Koivun was a high-school senior playing in the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup, where he watched stars such as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Thomas from close range.

Now, he is sharing the same team room with them.

Koivun’s rapid rise has deep roots. At Auburn, he became one of the most decorated players in college golf, winning 11 individual titles, three consecutive SEC championships and two NCAA team championships. He also became the first player to win the Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus Awards twice.

His final collegiate season was particularly dominant. Koivun won six times in 13 starts, recorded 12 top-10 finishes and posted a 68.20 scoring average, breaking the NCAA single-season record. His career average of 68.89 was also an NCAA record.

Remarkably, Koivun had already earned a PGA TOUR card in 2025 through the PGA TOUR University Accelerated programme while still at Auburn. Instead of turning professional immediately, he returned for another season and helped the Tigers secure another national championship.

He finished his amateur career at the 2026 U.S. Open, tying for 23rd, before turning professional. His breakthrough came almost immediately.

In only his third professional start, Koivun won the 3M Open at 25-under 259, setting a tournament scoring record and defeating world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by three strokes. He subsequently finished the PGA TOUR regular season 70th in the FedExCup standings and qualified for the playoffs.

That performance persuaded U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker to select him as a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup.

Koivun enters Medinah with limited professional experience but extensive high-level competition behind him, including the Junior Presidents Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and Walker Cup.

He expects nerves on the first tee but believes they will settle after his opening shot. For a player who was watching Presidents Cup stars four years ago, Thursday offers a striking reversal: Koivun is no longer watching the stars — he has become one of them.