Jackson Koivun (born May 23, 2005) is an American professional golfer. He attended Auburn University, where as a freshman he had one of the best seasons in collegiate golf history.
๐๏ธ Early Life and Amateur Beginnings
Koivun was born on May 23, 2005, in San Jose, California and moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina when he was in high school. He learned golf from his father George at a young age, and says he beat his dad for the first time when he was seven.
In AJGA events, Koivun lost a playoff in 2021 and won the 2022 Rolex Tournament of Champions. He won the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup with the U.S. national team.
๐ Record-Breaking Freshman Season at Auburn
Koivun was the top-ranked recruit in the class of 2023. He enrolled at Auburn University and started playing with the Auburn Tigers menโs golf team, where he as a freshman in 2024 recorded one of the best seasons in collegiate golf history.
He won the SEC Championship by six shots and only finished outside the top-six once in 13 starts. He had the lowest adjusted scoring average (67.3) in the NCAA.
He finished in a tie for second at the 2024 NCAA Division I Menโs Individual Championship. He led the Auburn team to win the national title, the first in program history.
He was 7โ0 in matchplay over the season, leading Auburn to 10 tournament victories. He was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year.
In 2024, he became the first player ever to sweep all four major collegiate awards in the same season: the Haskins Award, Jack Nicklaus Award, Ben Hogan Award and Phil Mickelson Award. He reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in June 2025.
โณ PGA Tour Debut and Accelerated Program
Koivun made his PGA Tour debut in the 2024 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, having earned a spot through winning the Jack Nicklaus Award. He made the cut and earned his 15th point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program.
Following his freshman season with Auburn University, he was the third-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, behind Gordon Sargent and Christo Lamprecht.
๐ฅ Dominant 2026 Collegiate Season
In February 2026, Koivun won the Amer Ari Invitational with rounds of 62, 62 and 67 for a 25-under par score. He broke Auburnโs 54-hole scoring record by seven strokes.
His back-to-back 62s (โ10) broke the NCAA 36-hole record of 18 shots under par, previously set by Tiger Woods at the 1996 Pac-10 Championship. He was the first player in NCAA history to post two rounds of 62 or lower in the same event.
One week later, Koivun won the Gator Invitational for his seventh career college victory, the most of any golfer in Auburnโs history. In March, he won The Hayt for his third win in four starts.
In April, Koivun won the Mason Rudolph Championship, the Ford Collegiate, and the SEC Championship for the third straight year. He became just the second golfer to win three straight SEC titles, joining LSUโs Mac McLendon.
Koivun finished at 19-under 191, an SEC scoring record. He tied himself from earlier in 2026 at the Amer Ari Invitational for the third-lowest total score in college golf history.
In May, Koivun was named the Ben Hogan Award winner for the second time, joining Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg as the third menโs golfer to win it twice. In June, he was named the Haskins Award winner for the second time, joining Ben Crenshaw, Bobby Clampett and Phil Mickelson as the fourth player to ever win the award twice.
Koivun helped Auburn win their second NCAA Championship in three years as they defeated UCLA in the final.
๐ Turning Professional and First PGA Tour Win
In June 2026, Koivun announced that he would forgo his senior year at Auburn University and turn professional following the 2026 U.S. Open. He had earned PGA Tour status through the PGA Tour University accelerated program the previous year.
By turning pro, he forfeited his exemption to the 2026 Open Championship for winning the Mark H. McCormack Medal. In July 2026, in just his third professional start, Koivun won the 3M Open for his first PGA Tour victory.
In the third round, Koivun shot a 9-under 61, including a tournament record 28 on the back nine, to go into the final round with a three shot lead. In the final round, he closed with a bogey-free 5-under 66 to win the tournament by three over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Koivun finished with a 72-hole tournament record score of 25-under 259.
| Year | Event | Result | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | SEC Championship | Win | Won by six shots |
| 2024 | NCAA Individual Championship | Tied for 2nd | Led Auburn to team national title |
| 2026 | Amer Ari Invitational | Win | Broke Tiger Woodsโ 36-hole NCAA record |
| 2026 | 3M Open | Win | First PGA Tour victory; 25-under 259 |