At just 21, Jackson Koivun has already done something most golfers can only dream of: he defeated the world No. 1 head-to-head. On July 26, in just his third start as a professional, he beat Scottie Scheffler by three shots to win the 3M Open and set a new scoring record. So when Koivun had to choose his dream Presidents Cup partner, many would expect Scheffler to be his first choice. But he picked someone else.
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Speaking on the Fore Play podcast with hosts Rigs and Kiz, Koivun was asked to name his No. 1 pick for a potential foursome pairing at Medinah. When host Kiz pushed back, saying he’d “always pick the world number one” in that spot, Koivun didn’t budge. He explained that comfort mattered more to him than star power.
“I’ve known Russ and JT for a while, so I’d say probably one of them two,” he said, referring to Russell Henley and Justin Thomas. As for Scheffler, Koivun admitted the relationship simply isn’t there yet. “He sent me a nice text, but I’ve never really talked to him, and it’ll be nice to get to know him,” he said.
Koivun didn’t just get lucky and make Team USA. He earned his spot. He turned pro in June after an amazing college career at Auburn, becoming the first and only player to win the SEC Player of the Year award three consecutive times and the national Player of the Year honors twice.
Just three starts into his pro career, Koivun had already won a PGA Tour event. By September, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker picked him for the Presidents Cup team at Medinah. He joined Chris Gotterup, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Jacob Bridgeman, and Justin Thomas as the six captain’s picks.
At 21, he becomes the second-youngest American ever to make a Presidents Cup team, trailing only Jordan Spieth, who debuted at 20 back in 2013. That’s rarefied company, and Koivun knows it. He described getting the call from Snedeker on the podcast, admitting he didn’t even recognize the number at first.
“I didn’t have his number, and he didn’t say it was Sneds for like two minutes,” Koivun said, laughing about how star-struck and stunned he felt in the moment.
There is something old-school about Koivun’s answer. While fans often talk about dream pairings between the biggest names in golf, the rookie chose the players who have supported him from the start. Henley and Thomas are not just his teammates. They are people he already knows in a locker room where most faces are still new to him. Scheffler may be the best player in the world, but Koivun has mostly known him as someone he has played against, not as a close friend.
This is also common for young players making their first team event. Jordan Spieth, the last American this young to make the team, also relied on experienced players during his first Presidents Cup. Koivun is simply taking a different approach. Instead of choosing the biggest name, he chose the people he feels comfortable with, even though one of them is not the player he beat by three shots, but the best player in the world.