Jack Nicklaus has lauded Jackson Koivun after his victory at the 3M Open on Sunday, and shared that the 21-year-old surprised him with how quickly he won on the PGA Tour.
Anyone who has followed the PGA Tour over the last couple of years will have known that Koivun is one name to keep a keen eye on.
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The youngster recently turned professional. A missed cut at the John Deere Classic on his first start as a professional did little to dampen the expectations for the starlet.
And Koivun did not need long to show exactly why the hopes are so high for his career. He won the 3M Open this past week, setting the scoring record at TPC Twin Cities in the process.
Jack Nicklaus reacts to Jackson Koivun winning the 3M Open
What made Koivun’s win all the more impressive was the fact that it was Scottie Scheffler who finished second to him.
Scheffler posted rounds of 64 and 63 over the weekend in Blaine. Nevertheless, he was only able to finish three shots behind Koivun.
Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images
Jack Nicklaus has since sent a message to Koivun on social media following his outstanding victory.
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He posted: ‘We certainly knew Jackson Koivun was going to make an impression on the @pgatour, but we didn’t know how soon. And not sure we thought this soon! What @jackson_koivun did this week at the @3mopen was simply a great performance. To also have world No. 1, @scottie.scheffler, who starts the day 6 shots back, shoot 63, well, it didn’t even faze Jackson. Scottie shoots 63, which means Jackson—just 21 years old and making his third start as a pro—has to shoot in the 60s to win the golf tournament. And he did! He shoots 65 and wins by 3! That’s pretty darn good for a young guy and pretty good for the game of golf. It’s refreshing to see the young guys come along. I love to see the new blood come in and enjoy success.
‘I’m very happy for Jackson—our latest Bear’s Club member and winner! Jackson, you had a great college career (2 @ncaa team titles at @auburnmgolf, 2 Jack Nicklaus Awards) and great amateur career (tied low am at 2026 @usopengolf), and, now, this is just the start of what should be a terrific pro career. Congrats on your first TOUR win, and we wish you well!‘
How many PGA Tour starts Jack Nicklaus needed to win as Jackson Koivun secures a victory on his 13th try
Winning on the PGA Tour is clearly not an easy task.
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The likes of Cameron Young and Tommy Fleetwood have impressed on some of the biggest stages in the game, including the Ryder Cup, yet they found securing their first PGA Tour victories far from straightforward.
Including starts as an amateur, Koivun needed 13 tournaments to win for the first time.
Interestingly, Nicklaus won on his 17th PGA Tour start. It should be noted that the Golden Bear’s maiden victory came at the 1962 US Open, with Arnold Palmer losing out in a playoff.
Obviously, the 3M Open is not a major. However, there is a similarity with Koivun’s victory, with the world’s best player on hand to be the one to pass the torch.
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