Jackson Koivun held off Scottie Scheffler, set a 3M Open scoring record and earned his first PGA Tour victory just weeks after turning professional.
Jackson Koivun didn’t wait for permission to become golf’s next big thing. The 21-year-old stared down Scottie Scheffler, ignored a gallery warning him that the world’s No. 1 player was charging and finished off a historic victory at the 2026 3M Open.
Koivun closed at 25-under par at TPC Twin Cities, beating Scheffler by three shots and breaking the tournament scoring record of 24-under set by Lee Hodges in 2023.
The former Auburn star accomplished it in only his third start since turning professional, one month after walking away from his final college season.
That transition suddenly looks pretty smart.
Koivun entered Sunday with a three-shot lead after detonating a back-nine 28 during Saturday’s 61. Instead of protecting the advantage and inviting trouble, he kept attacking.
His lead stayed between three and five shots for much of the final round as Scheffler, Brian Harman and Chandler Phillips tried to create pressure.
Scheffler eventually posted a final-round 63 to reach 22-under, but Koivun refused to crack.
He saved a crucial par from 15 feet near the turn, steadied himself and added another late birdie to make sure the best player in golf never got close enough to steal the trophy.
“I kept hearing, ‘Scottie’s coming! Scottie’s coming!’” Koivun told CBS after the round. “I just tried to tone that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could.”
That’s an outrageous level of composure for a rookie facing his first Sunday as a 54-hole leader.
Koivun played the entire weekend without a bogey and became the 10th-youngest PGA Tour winner since 2000.
The victory earned him $1.584 million, an invitation to make his Masters debut and a massive jump from No. 194 to No. 70 in the FedEx Cup standings.
He’s now inside the playoff bubble with two regular-season events remaining.
Scheffler’s fifth runner-up finish of the season tied the most on Tour since 2000, but even his furious weekend rounds of 64 and 63 couldn’t catch Koivun.
The rookie didn’t back into the title while the favorite stumbled. He absorbed Scheffler’s best punch and kept firing.
Koivun arrived with enormous expectations after becoming one of only three players, alongside Jon Rahm and Ludvig Åberg, to win the Ben Hogan Award twice.
At the 3M Open, the hype stopped being theoretical. Jackson Koivun isn’t golf’s future anymore. He just beat the world’s best in the present.
