Jackson Koivun Presidents Cup case grows after 3M Open win
Jackson Koivun’s 3M Open victory over Scottie Scheffler has pushed the PGA Tour rookie into the U.S. Presidents Cup debate.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Jackson Koivun Presidents Cup chatter got louder in a hurry after the 21-year-old won the 3M Open in only his third PGA Tour start, a result CBS Sports said has made U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker’s roster call trickier.
Koivun’s breakout came in Blaine, Minnesota, where CBS Sports reported he beat world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, played the final two rounds without a bogey and set a new tournament scoring record. That is a loud entrance for a player barely into his professional career.
Scheffler, quoted by CBS Sports, said winning for the first time is “awfully difficult,” especially for a young player coming out of college, and said Koivun’s victory showed both talent and mental strength.
Will Jackson Koivun make the Presidents Cup team?
Koivun is not currently in position through the standings. CBS Sports reported he is No. 51 in the U.S. Presidents Cup points race, meaning he would need to be one of Snedeker’s six captain’s picks to play at Medinah.
The Presidents Cup is a team golf competition matching the United States against the International Team. According to CBS Sports, the Americans are aiming for an 11th straight win in the event.
The top of the U.S. standings, as listed by CBS Sports, starts with Scheffler at 13,456 points. Cameron Young is second with 7,709, followed by Russell Henley at 5,729, Sam Burns at 5,586, Ben Griffin at 5,216 and Collin Morikawa at 5,145.
Chris Gotterup, J.J. Spaun, Wyndham Clark, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Akshay Bhatia round out the listed top 12. Koivun’s ranking outside the top 50 is the hurdle, even after a win that instantly changed the conversation around him.
Why Snedeker’s choice is no small thing
CBS Sports framed Koivun as the kind of young player who can force a captain to choose between a safer veteran and a longer-term bet. The outlet pointed to two recent team-golf examples where captains took the youth route.
In 2013, U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples selected 20-year-old Jordan Spieth instead of Jim Furyk. CBS Sports cited Couples’ comments from the time, when he said Spieth’s season made the pick the right move despite the difficulty of leaving out a friend.
CBS Sports also cited Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup decision to pick Ludvig Åberg. Luke Donald chose the Swede, who then played a role in Europe reclaiming the cup alongside Viktor Hovland.
Those examples are now part of the Koivun question. Snedeker can pick more established players, but CBS Sports argued that Koivun’s win over Scheffler gives him a real case as a player who could matter to U.S. teams beyond one Presidents Cup.
Snedeker’s setup also points to continuity. CBS Sports reported he has named Keegan Bradley and Furyk as assistant captains for Medinah, while Furyk is also set to captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Adare Manor in 2027.
Koivun’s résumé is still short as a pro, but CBS Sports noted he arrived from a decorated amateur career and has already claimed a PGA Tour trophy. That leaves Snedeker with a fresh problem: a rookie outside the safe zone who suddenly looks hard to ignore.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.