Jackson Koivun overcame an early mistake and teamed with Justin Thomas for a dominant Presidents Cup debut as the U.S. grabbed a 3-2 lead at Medinah.
Jackson Koivun’s first Presidents Cup match didn’t begin perfectly, but it ended exactly the way the United States hoped it would.
The 21-year-old rookie teamed with veteran Justin Thomas for a convincing 4-and-3 victory over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria on Thursday at Medinah Country Club, helping the Americans take a 3-2 lead after the opening Four-ball session.
Koivun provided an immediate glimpse of the confidence that convinced U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker to use a captain’s pick on him.
He ripped his opening drive down the fairway and punctuated it with a club twirl.
Then came the reminder that Presidents Cup pressure can arrive quickly.
Koivun drove his ball out of bounds at the second hole and struggled to contribute early. Thomas, however, gave his young partner time to settle down.
That proved important.
Koivun eventually found his rhythm, winning two holes with birdies and making another birdie at the par-4 12th to keep the Americans moving toward their largest victory of Thursday’s session.
Thomas was outstanding throughout the match and remained unbeaten in Presidents Cup Four-ball competition, improving his career record in the format to 7-0-0.
“He's really impressive to watch, and I'm really happy he's on my team,” Thomas said afterward. “It was cool to watch him do his thing out there and show up in some pretty big moments.”
That veteran-rookie combination was exactly what Snedeker appeared to have in mind.
Koivun didn’t need to carry the match. He needed someone capable of absorbing the pressure while he adjusted to his first international team competition.
Thomas did exactly that, and once Koivun became comfortable, the pairing became difficult to handle.
Elsewhere, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns beat Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im 1-up, while Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa defeated Ryan Fox and Adam Scott 3 and 2.
The International Team earned points from Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune, along with Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim.
Koivun will sit during Friday’s Foursomes session, with Thomas moving alongside Cameron Young.
His next opportunity will have to wait. His first impression won’t.
