Who is Jackson Koivun? Meet the 21-year-old golf phenom leading the 3M Open

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Jackson Koivun may be unfamiliar to casual golf fans, but the 21-year-old has been viewed as a future PGA Tour star for years. Now he is one round away from making that arrival official.

Koivun fired a 10-under 61 during the third round of the 2026 3M Open on Saturday, reaching 20-under for the tournament and securing the first 54-hole lead of his PGA Tour career.

The former Auburn superstar began the day three shots off the lead before producing a historic finish at TPC Twin Cities. Koivun played the back nine in a tournament-record 28, closing with a stunning birdie-birdie-eagle run. He will carry a three-shot advantage over Emiliano Grillo into Sunday’s final round. Michael Brennan, Chandler Phillips and Ben Kohles finished another shot behind at 16-under.

“Historic finish for the 21-year-old pro,” the PGA Tour wrote on social media. “Jackson Koivun ends the day with his first 54-hole lead and the back-nine scoring record.”

Here is everything to know about the young golfer attempting to win in only his third start as a professional.

Who is Jackson Koivun?

Koivun is a 21-year-old American professional golfer and former No. 1-ranked amateur. He was born May 23, 2005, in San Jose, California. His parents are George and Meghan Koivun, and he is their only child. Koivun learned golf from his father at a young age. He has said he first beat George on the course when he was only seven. The family moved from California to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before Koivun’s senior year of high school. He graduated as the No. 1 golf recruit in the 2023 class and received scholarship offers from several prominent programs.

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 25, 2026

Koivun considered Duke, Illinois, North Carolina, Pepperdine, SMU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. One unofficial visit to Auburn convinced him that he had found the right college. That decision worked out spectacularly for both sides.

Jackson Koivun’s historic Auburn career

Koivun did not need time to adjust to college golf. He produced one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history during the 2023-24 campaign. Koivun won the SEC individual championship by six strokes, finished tied for second at the NCAA Championship and helped Auburn capture the first men’s golf national title in program history.

He went 7-0 in match play and finished outside the top six only once in 13 starts. Koivun became the first freshman to win SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year during the same season. He was also the first player in college golf history to sweep all four major individual honors in one year:

Fred Haskins Award
Ben Hogan Award
Jack Nicklaus Award
Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award

That freshman season was not a one-time eruption.

Koivun was named SEC Player of the Year in each of his three seasons at Auburn, becoming the first golfer in conference history to win the award three times. He also captured three consecutive SEC individual championships, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since LSU’s B.R. McLendon from 1965 through 1967.

His 2026 SEC victory was especially dominant. Koivun finished at 19-under, set a conference scoring record and won by seven strokes. Koivun ended his Auburn career with 11 individual victories, the most in program history. He also recorded 34 top-10 finishes, 87 rounds below par and a 68.89 scoring average.

According to Auburn, his career scoring average was the lowest in NCAA history. Koivun finished among the top 10 in 34 of his 39 college starts, an incredible rate of 87 percent. He placed outside the top 20 only twice.

Koivun broke one of Tiger Woods’ college records

Koivun’s most remarkable scoring performance came at the Amer Ari Invitational in February 2026. He opened the tournament with consecutive rounds of 62 before closing with a 67. His 25-under total broke Auburn’s 54-hole scoring record by seven strokes.

Koivun’s 20-under total through two rounds also broke the NCAA 36-hole scoring record previously held by Tiger Woods. Woods had reached 18-under over two rounds at the 1996 Pac-10 Championship.

Koivun became the first golfer in NCAA history to post two rounds of 62 or lower in the same tournament. That victory started a dominant final college season in which he won six tournaments and posted 12 top-10 finishes. He made a program-record 196 birdies and completed 33 of his 40 rounds at par or better.

Koivun won the Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus awards again in 2026. He became the first college golfer to win all three awards multiple times. Auburn also won its second NCAA team championship in three years before Koivun left for the PGA Tour.

How did Jackson Koivun earn his PGA Tour card?

Koivun did not have to advance through traditional qualifying school. He earned PGA Tour membership through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program, which rewards elite college players for achievements at the amateur, collegiate and professional levels.

Players earn points for accomplishments such as winning major college awards, reaching No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, competing in national-team events and performing well in PGA Tour tournaments. Reaching 20 points grants immediate PGA Tour membership.

Koivun earned his 20th point after his sophomore season but elected to delay turning professional. He returned to Auburn for one more year, won another national championship and added six individual victories to his résumé. In June, Koivun announced he would forgo his senior season and accept PGA Tour membership following the U.S. Open.

“I’m ready to compete against the big boys,” Koivun said when announcing the move.

Koivun was world’s No. 1 amateur

Koivun climbed to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in June 2025. He received the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading player in the world amateur rankings and represented the United States in several international competitions.

Koivun’s national-team appearances included the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup, the 2024 and 2025 Arnold Palmer Cups and the 2025 Walker Cup. His junior resume was also impressive.

Koivun entered Auburn as the No. 1 recruit in his class after winning the 2022 Rolex Tournament of Champions and 2023 Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship. He also recorded top-10 finishes at the Wyndham Invitational, Junior Players Championship and Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Jackson Koivun’s major championship history

Koivun made his first U.S. Open appearance at Oakmont in 2025 but missed the cut after rounds of 72 and 76. His second appearance went much better.

Koivun closed his amateur career at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He made the cut and finished tied for 23rd after rounds of 72, 71, 74 and 68. His final-round 68 moved him 24 places up the leaderboard and left him at 5-over for the championship. He shared low-amateur honors and received the USGA Silver Medal.

Koivun finished ahead of several established stars, including Rory McIlroy.

Because he entered as an amateur, Koivun could not collect the approximately $181,000 that would have come with his finish. He turned professional immediately afterward.

Koivun’s PGA Tour experience

Saturday’s breakthrough did not come from nowhere. Koivun made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur at the 2024 Memorial Tournament after winning the Jack Nicklaus Award. He made the cut at difficult Muirfield Village, immediately showing he could compete against professional fields.

He later produced four consecutive top-11 finishes in PGA Tour events as an amateur, something no player had previously accomplished. Koivun entered the 3M Open having made nine cuts in 12 career PGA Tour appearances, most of those coming before he turned professional.

His official professional debut came at the John Deere Classic in early July. Koivun missed the cut, but he quickly put that disappointment behind him in Minnesota.

He opened the 3M Open with a bogey-free 7-under 64, finishing two shots behind first-round leader Ben Kohles. Koivun followed with a 3-under 68 on Friday to reach 10-under.

Then came Saturday’s explosion.

MORE: Who is Ben Kohles? Meet the surprise 3M Open leader challenging Scottie Scheffler

Koivun makes 3M Open history

Koivun was solid on the front nine before completely taking over after the turn. He rolled in a 24-foot birdie putt at No. 13 and continued attacking the closing stretch. At the par-4 16th, Koivun crushed a 300-yard drive that finished only 13 feet from the hole and converted the birdie.

His tee shot at the par-3 17th stopped seven feet away, setting up another birdie. Koivun then reached the par-5 18th in two and made the eagle putt, completing a birdie-birdie-eagle finish and a back-nine 28.

His rounds of 64, 68 and 61 have him at 193 strokes through 54 holes. Sunday will provide an entirely new challenge. Koivun has never entered a final round with a PGA Tour lead, and several experienced players remain within striking distance.

He does not have the resume of an ordinary 21-year-old, however. Koivun has already broken a scoring record held by Woods, won nearly every important award in college golf and helped Auburn capture two national championships. He earned his PGA Tour card before completing college and finished among the top 25 at the U.S. Open.

Now he is 18 holes away from his first PGA Tour victory.

Golf fans who did not know Jackson Koivun before Saturday certainly know him now.