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 surprised everyone.

Speaking on the Fore Play podcast with hosts Rigs and Kevin Kisner (Kiz), Koivun was asked to name his No. 1 pick for a potential foursome pairing at Medinah. Four-time PGA Tour winner Kisner presented a hypothetical scenario: It’s the Tuesday of Presidents Cup week, and Koivun has to pick one partner for the Thursday fourball. Who will it be? Koivun, 21, laughed and said, “I can’t do that.”

But Kiz pressed further, and Koivun still reluctantly answered, “I can’t pick anyone,” before giving up. “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. Speaking of 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. But how did Koivun develop a good relationship with JT and Henley?

Well, Panther National and Auburn. Koivun, after graduating from Auburn University, moved to Jupiter, Florida, and became a member of the Panther National, which is co-designed by Justin Thomas. Chris Williams, the assistant head coach at Auburn University, encouraged Koivun to mingle with JT, and the 21-year-old followed his advice. Henley, on the other hand, is a mentor and a friend.

Back in 2025, while making his PGA Tour debut at the John Deere Classic on a sponsor exemption, Koivun was asked if anyone had taken him under his wing. The youngster said, “When I’m back home in Auburn, I play a little bit of golf with Russell Henley. He’s helped a good bit here and there.”

Henley travels to Auburn quite often even though he is from Georgia, and that’s how Koivun got to know Scheffler’s 2024 Presidents Cup and 2025 Ryder Cup partner, Henley. The mentorship has developed into a banter-filled friendship.

At the Procore Championship, Koivun said he met first-round leader Henley on the range and told him that he would catch him. Koivun shot 66 and went on to tie Henley at the top of the leaderboard. Funnily enough, none could sustain that lead as Scheffler snatched the title while Koivun settled for a T4 and Henley for a T19.

Probably the friendship with Henley will help Koivun get to know Scheffler as well. Scheffler and Henley are good friends. At last year’s Tour Championship, Henley went on to fist bump Scheffler, who, instead, opened his palm in a “paper-beats-rock” move. Henley later laughed it off by saying that Scheffler was just being mean, which was pretty usual for him.

As for Koivun, the World No. 1 had heaped praise on the youngster after the youngster nullified his final round charge. Scheffler said winning the first PGA Tour event is “awfully difficult,” and the way Koivun pulled it off demonstrated how talented he is. Probably after the victory Koivun got the “nice text” that he referred to in the interview.

Koivun didn’t just get lucky and make Team USA. He earned it. The 21-year-old 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.