Michael Thorbjornsen has admitted that he was fired up by seeing Jackson Koivun win on the PGA Tour before him the week before his victory at the Rocket Classic.
Thorbjornsen has now removed himself from the conversation over the most talented player yet to win on the PGA Tour after his impressive triumph at Detroit Golf Club.
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The 24-year-old has given himself a number of opportunities over the years. Interestingly, heading into the back nine on Sunday in Michigan, it seemed that the likes of Xander Schauffele or Rasmus Hojgaard were better placed to get across the line.
However, Michael Thorbjornsen produced a stunning performance over the final nine holes to win by two over Schauffele.
Michael Thorbjornsen speaks about seeing Jackson Koivun win on the PGA Tour before him
Of course, it was the second time in two weeks that an American under the age of 24 has won on the PGA Tour.
Jackson Koivun marked only his third professional start by winning the 3M Open, with the 21-year-old finishing three shots clear of Scottie Scheffler at TPC Twin Cities.
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It was a statement of intent from Koivun, who removed any doubt over his potential by looking so comfortable with the lead.
Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images
And when asked on Dan on Golf about seeing Koivun win, Thorbjornsen admitted that it did have an impact on him heading into the Rocket Classic.
“I’d be lying if I said no,” he said.
“It’s funny you say that. Jackson’s a great kid, outstanding player, unbelievable. He might have one of the best amateur careers of all-time. But there is something about someone younger than you winning and doing it before you do that’s like, gosh, I need to catch up. I can’t get left behind here.
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“It wasn’t out of spite, not even close, but it was just even more motivation.”
Where Michael Thorbjornsen stands in the race for a Presidents Cup spot
There was plenty of talk surrounding Koivun making the Presidents Cup team following his victory. It would appear to be a smart move for Team USA to bring him into the fold at an event that they should win comfortably.
Thorbjornsen is in a similar situation now. In fact, he looks to have an opportunity to stake an even stronger claim to be involved at Medinah.
The youngster sits 29th in the qualification standings, while he is 38th in the FedEx Cup. So he is in with a very good chance of at least making it to the BMW Championship.
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With Koivun needing a decent week at the Wyndham Championship just to make sure that he gets into the playoffs, it is probably fair to say that Thorbjornsen may have jumped ahead of him in the pecking order.
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