Rookie golfer Jackson Koivun claimed his inaugural PGA Tour victory at the 3M Open, outplaying top-ranked player Scottie Scheffler by three strokes. Koivun sealed his win with a remarkable 5-under 66 in the final round, finishing with a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.
Despite Indian-origin Sudarshan Yellamaraju missing the cut, other players like Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala did not participate in the event. Koivun, aged 21, shared that amidst the crowd’s chants of “Scottie’s coming,” he focused on his game to secure the win.
Scheffler, who shot a 63, narrowly missed victory, settling for his fifth runner-up position this season. Notably, he had clinched a win earlier in the year at The American Express in California. Other players, including Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Harman, tied for third place at 20 under.
Koivun displayed a composed performance throughout the scorching day at TPC Twin Cities, maintaining a bogey-free streak for the second consecutive day. His crucial par-saving putt on the 9th hole, following a challenging sand trap shot, boosted his confidence for the back nine.
The previous 3M Open record holder, Lee Hodges, finished at 24-under 260 in 2023. Koivun, marking his fourth rookie win this season, had previously missed the cut at the John Deere Classic and secured a 10th place finish at the ISCO Championship. His victory earned him $1,584,000 and propelled him 124 spots up the FedExCup rankings to 70th place.
