Right now, this very moment, Jackson Koivun is on top of the golf world. After leading Auburn golf to two national championships in the past three years and winning the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top men’s college golfer in 2026, Koivun tee’d it up in just his third PGA Tour event at the 3M Open over the weekend … and won the whole dang thing. Oh, and the guy he outdueled down the stretch? Scottie Scheffler. Not too shabby, kid.
Needless to say, Koivun’s name was on the tip of every golf fan’s tongue on Sunday night, including legendary CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz, who made a bold claim following the 21-year-old’s maiden victory. Have a listen.
"[Scottie Scheffler] does not like finishing in second … I have a very strong feeling that he'll win at least one of the playoff events."
"Jackson Koivun has to receive strong consideration to be on the U.S. Presidents Cup team."
Jim Nantz reacts to the incredible finish at… pic.twitter.com/mcQogDVNvs
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) July 26, 2026
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“I think in many ways, that Jackson Koivun has to receive now strong consideration to be on the U.S. Presidents Cup team,” Nantz said on air Sunday. “We’re about a month away from that team being put together and I know captain Brandt Snedeker will make a lot of great decisions, and he’ll get some captain’s picks, but this kid is going to be a force for a long time. And I think it’s nice sometimes to be able to say that you gave him [Koivun] a chance as a wild-card pick—a captain’s pick—before he goes on a stretch of 25 years, whatever, where he’s going to make the national teams on his own.”
Wow. That’s a bold prediction about a guy who has played in just three total PGA Tour events, but Nantz has a point. First, this is what captain’s picks are for. They allow team captains to ride a hot hand even if the body of work doesn’t allow them to qualify through the FedEx Cup standings. Second, as we saw at Marco Simone in 2023 and at Bethpage Black in 2025, the U.S. locker is in desperate need of some fresh blood. Koivun could very well be that injection.
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On the surface, Koivun may seem inexperienced, but he just held off the most dominant player we’ve seen since Tiger Woods without breaking a sweat and has ample match-play experience from his NCAA exploits. Ultimately it will come down to Koivun’s form over the next month and Snedeker’s risk tolerance, but the more we think about it, maybe Nantz’s claim isn’t quite as crazy as it seems …
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
