21-year-old Jackson Koivun got off to a winning start in his Presidents Cup career.
Playing alongside Justin Thomas, the American pair beat Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria 4&3 in Thursday’s fourballs to earn a point for Team USA.
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All eyes might have been on Koivun, but Thomas stole the show. The two-time PGA Championship winner led the field in Strokes Gained off the tee and around the green to lead the charge in this dominant win.
Koivun, on the other hand, looked nervous. He hit a tee shot out of bounds early, and while there were flashes of brilliance with his putter, he lost four strokes from tee to green, the worst of any American.
Captain Brandt Snedeker, who made the bold call of picking Koivun for his team, gave his honest assessment of how the young star got on in his first Presidents Cup outing.
Brandt Snedeker says Jackson Koivun ‘did his part’ in his Presidents Cup debut
Snedeker clearly understood that Koivun had some struggles out there in his Presidents Cup debut. He praised his partner, Thomas, for carrying the load, and gave Koivun some credit as an afterthought.
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Speaking about Koivun after the day’s action, Snedeker said, “I really haven’t gotten a full rundown on the match, but super happy for him, a rookie getting his first point in the Presidents Cup.
“I think Justin did a good job showing him the ropes. Justin played fantastic today, and Jackson got to see what USA golf looks like. Super happy for him, happy for our team that you have a rookie like that getting their first point.”
Snedeker was then asked if Thomas was invigorated by his leadership role, and he answered, “It’s hard to say it doesn’t. He played fantastic today.
“Justin is the ultimate team guy. He does whatever we ask. Gave him a tall task, taking a young kid under his wings, and he did a fantastic job today.
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“Jackson did his part. It wasn’t like it was all JT. Jackson played great coming down the stretch. That was a really strong pairing.”
Thomas, who has grown close with Koivun in recent years to take on a mentor role, was the perfect partner for him. He shouldered the load on the golf course to allow Koivun to get accustomed to the environment, and hopefully he can kick on and perform better the rest of the week.
How Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas compared in their Presidents Cup match
Diving into the numbers, it becomes immediately apparent just how much Thomas carried Koivun through their fourballs match.
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Thomas gained strokes to the field in every category but one. He lost 0.06 strokes on approach, every so slightly worse than average, but in every other department the 33-year-old played exceptionally well.
For Koivun, the opposite was true. He had an incredible day on the greens, ranking second among all players in putting by gaining 1.92 strokes to the field. But he needed to hole those putts, as he fell short everywhere else.
He was the worst American player off the tee and from tee-to-green, better only than his opponent, Echavarria, in those departments. Koivun lost over a stroke on approach and 0.79 strokes around the greens in a difficult day.
The fact that Koivun and Thomas won this match going away shows just how good Thomas was on the day to carry this match.
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