Victory and Final Round
American rookie Jackson Koivun held his nerve to beat Scottie Scheffler by three strokes and claim his first PGA Tour win at the 3M Open on Sunday. Playing in just his third tournament since turning professional, Koivun surged into a three-shot lead on Saturday with a round of 10-under 61, including a record eight-under 28 on the back nine. He stretched his lead to five in the final round at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota before Scheffler charged.[S1][S2][S3]
Scheffler, the world number one, fired a bogey-free 63 with three straight birdies to start the back nine and two more in the final three holes to cut the deficit to two strokes. Koivun answered with a birdie at the 16th and closed with a five-under 66 to finish at 25 under. "I had some nerves coming down 18," said Koivun. "All throughout the crowd I kept hearing 'Scottie's coming, Scottie's coming'."[S1][S3][S4]
Koivun added, "I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could." Scheffler's second-place finish was his fifth runner-up of the year. The 3M Open was Koivun's 13th career start on the PGA Tour but only his third as a professional. Scheffler's rounds were 65, 70, 64 and 63. Koivun later said, "I just love this game. I love golf, it's everything I do."[S1][S3][S5][S4]
Koivun's Tournament Rounds
Koivun was in control from the start. He opened with a 7-under 64 on Thursday, then posted a 3-under 68 on Friday despite three bogeys. In Saturday's moving day, he carded six birdies and two eagles for a 10-under 61, including a back-nine 28. On Sunday, his approach on the first hole spun back to within two feet for an easy birdie. He closed with a bogey-free 66.[S5][S4]
Background and Other Results
Koivun, who turned 21 on May 23, turned professional on June 22 after finishing tied for 23rd at the U.S. Open. He was a standout at Auburn University, becoming the first college player to win all four major accolades — the Phil Mickelson, Haskins, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus awards — in 2023, and repeated as winner of the Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus awards in 2024. He helped Auburn win its second NCAA team title in three years in June. He was the top-ranked amateur in the class of 2023. In his first two pro starts before the 3M Open, he missed the cut at the John Deere Classic and finished T10 at the ISCO Championship.[S3][S5]
American trio Denny McCarthy, Brian Harman and Chandler Phillips tied for third at 20 under with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama. Michael Kim fired a 12-under 59 on Friday but finished T10 after rounds of 70 and 69. Jake Knapp shot a 62 to finish T13 at 16 under. Defending champion Kurt Kitayama tied for 24th at 13 under. No Australians made the cut.[S1][S4]
