Few golfers coming out of college in recent years have had more attention than Jackson Koivun. The 21-year-old led the Auburn Tigers to two NCAA team championships (in 2024 and 2026) and earned all three major individual college awards—the Ben Hogan Award, the Fred Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award—in both those seasons. Koivun won 11 college tournaments during three years at Auburn before turning pro after playing at this year’s U.S. Open. Roughly a month after joining the PGA Tour, he finished T-10 at the ISCO Championship and then won the 3M Open, outlasting Scottie Scheffler.
I’m pumped for next season. The short stretch I had after I turned pro in June was a wild ride, for sure. It was definitely a weird feeling winning the 3M Open that early, in only my third start, and then getting picked for the Presidents Cup. Things were moving hyper fast, and I’m only now able to sit back and take it all in.
My first PGA Tour win was definitely shocking, but self-belief has always been one of my strong suits, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think I could do it. What’s next for me is hard to say. I know I’ll be playing in as many tournaments as I can next year, and I’m also joining TGL [Tomorrow’s Golf League] on the new Motor City Golf Club with Brooks Koepka. I don’t set goals; rather, I think if I can just get 1 percent better each day, the achievements will come.
Since this might be the first time you’re hearing about me, I’ve been asked by Golf Digest to share my thoughts on my game—how I swing the club, my short game, the amount of time I practice putting. Hopefully you can get something out of it for your own game.
My Need for Speed 
Mackenzie Stroh
Some people say my swing looks violent. I know it’s quick, but it doesn’t feel violent. It’s just that as a smaller kid I had to learn how to hit the ball as hard as I could to compete. I’m still only 150 pounds, so my length comes from fast hip rotation and how I side bend into the shot.
My hips are so fast, it sometimes looks like they’re firing before I finish the backswing! Also, you might notice that my right side drops down quite a bit (above). That side bend is what I get a lot of comments about, but it’s how I’m able to compress the ball and hit it farther. My coach, Fred Garcia, and I have been working to reduce it, but it’s not something I’m looking to change. I just know that a quick swing like mine relies on timing, so we’re working on making it more reliable—especially coming down the 18th under pressure.
Why I Love My 8-Iron 
Mackenzie Stroh
The putter is my favorite club, but the fact that I go through a lot of 8-irons, and not a lot of the other irons, should tell you what I use most to work on my game. I just think it’s the perfect middle club. It’s long enough that you can work on stuff like shaping shots and mechanical things, and it’s short enough that the head’s shape gives you confidence you can attack with it.
With the exception of cutting a 3-wood to hold a green better, I’m almost always looking to hit a little draw (above). I’m not thinking of closing my stance or the face of the club to curve the ball right to left; it just comes from the natural in-to-out plane of my swing. My bad tendency is to take the club back outside, then drop the club inside, which can cause me to get stuck and not draw it. I know if I can get my takeaway in the right spot, where it’s parallel to where I’m aiming at about hip height, I’m in great position to draw it.
Making the Jump From Collegiate to Professional Wedges 
Mackenzie Stroh
My short-game coach, Josh Gregory, and I are working hard on off-speed shots with the wedges. I feel like that’s a huge jump in development I’ll need to compete on tour. From 70 to 120 yards, being able to control spin and flight better is big. If I want to be like, I want to hit this shot exactly 118 yards, you’ve got to have that kind of control.
When the shots get shorter than that, pitches and chips (above), I’m most comfortable with a 60-degree wedge. Using one club when you practice gives you more reps for better consistency. I also play a lot of games and try a lot of shots when practicing. Chipping is a creative part of the game, so the shot I play is usually just reacting to where the pin is. That gets my hands and body naturally engaged.
I’ll Spend All Day Putting 
Mackenzie Stroh
I know some people find it boring, but putting is one of my favorite things—always has been. I really like something my friend said: It’s the only time in practice you can see the ball go in the hole. If I don’t spend at least two hours putting, I feel like I’ve been slacking.
I’m mostly a straight-back-and-straight-through putter. In my mind, if I keep the stroke straight and the face square, I know where the ball is going. At address, I want the ball one ball back of my left heel and my eyes a little inside to directly over it. When I make a stroke, I also like to keep the club low to the ground and kind of almost hit up on the ball with not a ton of loft. Along with the ball position, that helps me put a true roll on it. If my putts aren’t rolling line over line, I get pretty upset. My stroke is a little long to short (above), but it’s not a pop. I feel like I’m not hitting the putt, the ball just kind of collects off the face. I’m definitely an aggressive putter, though. This might not make sense, but when I start trying to die putts in, the hole looks smaller to me. I want them to drop with some pace.
Gearing Up For Arena Golf
My first visit to the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where TGL is broadcast, came during this photo shoot. This place is super cool. I can’t wait to get more time on this mechanical putting green that can change slopes and breaks.
Being a part of TGL and showing some of my personality is very exciting. I was playing in the Rocket Classic in Detroit when someone approached me about being on the Motor City Golf Club. I said I’d love to be on the team, and getting a teammate like Brooks Koepka will be a cool experience. It’s one of many things I’m looking forward to next year.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
