MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Jackson Koivun turned a fast start to life as a professional into a Sunday statement at the 3M Open. In just his third pro appearance, the 21-year-old won by three shots and did it by finishing one of the best 72-hole scores in tournament history.
What made it stand out even more was the company he kept in the final round. Scottie Scheffler made a charge, but Koivun stayed calm, avoided mistakes and closed out a performance that could reshape the rest of his season.
1. He won the 3M Open by three strokes
Koivun finished at 25-under 259 after a closing 5-under 66 at TPC Twin Cities. That total set a tournament record, breaking the previous mark of 24-under 260 posted by Lee Hodges in 2023. Koivun also stayed bogey-free for the second straight day, which helped him protect the lead he built with Saturday’s 61.
The victory came in Minnesota on a hot 97-degree afternoon, and he handled the pressure with a steady, conservative approach rather than chasing birdies recklessly.
2. He held off Scottie Scheffler’s late push
Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player, tried to make things interesting with a 63. He played five groups ahead and briefly tightened the race, but Koivun never gave the lead away. That made the final round less about a wild shootout and more about one rookie keeping his nerves under control against golf’s biggest name.
Scheffler finished second for the fourth time this season. His only win of the year came earlier, when he opened at The American Express in California.
3. It happened in only his third professional start
Koivun is still extremely early in his pro career, so this win landed with extra weight. He had made 10 starts in tour events as an amateur before turning professional, and he arrived in Minnesota after missing the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tying for 10th at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlier in July.
Just last month, he helped Auburn win the NCAA championship, so the jump from college golf to winning on the PGA Tour has come quickly.
4. The win changes his postseason outlook
Koivun earned $1,584,000 for the victory and moved 124 spots in the FedEx Cup standings to No. 70. That puts him in the last position above the playoff cutoff with two regular-season events left on the schedule. For a rookie, that is a major swing in both status and opportunity.
The 3M Open also crowned him as the fourth rookie winner of the season, a reminder that first-year players have been making noise all year long.
5. The leaderboard behind him stayed crowded
Koivun did not win in a vacuum. Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillips and Denny McCarthy all tied for third at 20-under, showing how deep the scoring was at TPC Twin Cities. Even with that group close behind, Koivun’s final-round control kept the chase from ever becoming a tie at the top.
The margin mattered because the field was scoring so low, and a single mistake could have changed everything late on Sunday.
6. His second straight bogey-free round sealed it
The key stretch of the week was not one huge swing but a long run of solid golf. Koivun followed his Saturday 61 with another bogey-free round, then backed it up with a 66 to finish at the top. In a tournament where players were piling up birdies, he won by taking care of the ball and avoiding the big number.
That kind of finish is especially notable for a player still learning the pro schedule, and it gives him a clear momentum boost heading into the last stretch of the regular season.
7. It was a big payday and a bigger breakthrough
Beyond the trophy, the result came with a life-changing payday and a meaningful move up the points list. Koivun walked away with more than $1.58 million and a far better path toward the playoffs. For a 21-year-old in only his third pro start, the win suggests he may be arriving faster than expected.
At TPC Twin Cities, he showed that a patient plan can still beat a star-studded leaderboard when the pressure is highest.
