Jackson Koivun, 21, holds off Scottie Scheffler at 3M Open for first PGA Tour win in just third pro start
BLAINE, Minn.— Jackson Koivun felt the nerves but never flinched, securing his first PGA Tour win in the face of a strong finish by the world’s top-ranked player and clear fan favorite in Scottie Scheffler.Koivun won the 3M Open by three strokes Sunday in only his third start as a professional, holding off Scheffler with a closing 5-under 66 for a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.“All throughout the crowd I kept hearing, ‘Scottie’s coming.
Scottie’s coming,’” the 21-year-old Koivun said.“I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could.”Scheffler, who played five groups ahead of Koivun, surged into contention with a 63 but settled for his fifth runner-up finish this season.
His lone win this year was in his first start at The American Express in California.“We’re seeing a lot of really, really good young talent in the game today,” Scheffler said.“When you see the guys come out of college, they’re really, really prepared, even more prepared than we were coming out.”Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillips and Denny McCarthy tied for third at 20 under.Koivun played a safe and steady game on a 97-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities, going bogey-free for the second straight day after a 61 in the third round gave him a three-shot cushion after 54 holes.
His par-saving putt on the 9th green after his approach landed in the sand gave him an energy boost for the back nine.“Might be the biggest putt I made all week,” Koivun said.“Scoreboard was right there, and I saw exactly how I stood.
If I missed that, then I only had a two-shot lead — where last time I checked I had a five-shot lead.So making that was huge for my momentum.”Lee Hodges held the previous 3M Open record, finishing at 24-under 260 in 2023.Koivun, who became the fourth rookie winner this season, missed the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tied for 10th at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlier this month.
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