Phil Mickelson backing young golfers isn’t a new thing. So when this six-time major champ openly backed a 20-year-old, who has been pushing himself into territories that even Tiger Woods never occupied, it wasn’t shocking. We are talking about Jackson Koivun.

“He is the real deal and a superstar in this game,” wrote Lefty, under Grant Horvat’s post.

“The #1 ranked amateur golfer in the world,” typed Grant Horvat, who collaborated with Koivun for a YouTube video. “His stats have him ranked higher than Tiger in a lot of areas. He’s finished top 10 in multiple PGA Tour events as well.”

Koivun, as an amateur, has secured three consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. Such a feat was last matched by Ken Venturi in 1956, 70 years ago. Even Woods didn’t have a similar run during his amateur days. He made his breakthrough in the media at the Procore Championship. His T4 made him finish three shots behind Scottie Scheffler. There was also a T5 at the Wyndham Championship and a T6 at the ISCO Championship.

When it comes to stats, Koivun surprisingly again surpasses Woods. Having a scoring average of 69.00 across 38 rounds for the year 2024-25, the amateur records 81.6% consistency. On the other hand, Woods’s best NCC scoring average was somewhere around 69.5.

Against professionals, Koivun has averaged +2.89 strokes gained. That’s an amazing number for an amateur. Data Golf‘s all-time amateur ranking places him at No. 1 in history. Second after him is Jon Rahm, and then comes Jordan Spieth.

Koivun is also the first college golfer ever to grab all four major national awards in a single season. This unprecedented achievement placed him in rare company alongside Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rahm, and Justin Thomas. The only difference is that these golfers won these awards across multiple seasons, not in one year.

And when you bring in the age factor, the picture only gets sharper. Jackson Koivun earned a full-time PGA Tour card through the Tour’s University Accelerated Program at 19. He is just the third golfer ever to do so. In contrast, Tiger Woods turned pro at 20 after completing his junior year at Stanford.

Possessing three NCAA individual championships along with three Haskin Awards, Mickelson sure knows a “real deal” when he sees one. Having competed directly against pros like Tiger Woods (from his era) and Rory McIlroy (the new era), Lefty qualifies as a fitting observer, someone who can most accurately prophesize the future of the game.

While the difference might seem minute, it cannot be ignored. Perhaps that’s why Phil Mickelson has already staked his claim on Jackson Koivun for his HyFlyers team.

“This young man is an amazing talent and destined for greatness. He would also look great in a HyFlyers outfit,” Phil Mickelson said after Koivun’s performance at the Procore Championship.

But this might only be possible if Jackson Koivun becomes pro. Because chances are, he might still go back to college.

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Why Jackson Koivun is still waiting to turn pro

Heading into 2026, Jackson Koivun faces a dilemma that not many golfers see. He already owns a full PGA Tour card. Yet instead of turning pro immediately, Koivun chose to defer it and return to his Auburn Tigers men’s golf for the 2025-26 season. There were reports of him attending the Walker Cup practice sessions (a replica of his 2025 dominance?). Overall, a professional debut is not likely this year. The PGA Tour might have to wait a year or two for Koivun.

Behind this, there are several reasons.

Koivun’s decision reflects a long-term view. Joining the PGA Tour will increase his earnings. His Procore Championship result would have given him $180k prize money, but that wasn’t the case. As per Golf Monthly, Jackson Koivun passed on only around $1 M in prize money, just because he remained an amateur. As a pro, this would have been much higher with sponsors, official PGA Tour records, equipment, media deals, and whatnot.

So why is he hesitating? Staying amateur will help him grow in a lower-pressure, structured environment. He spoke of the same on the No Laying Up podcast last year.

“Once you get out on the PGA Tour, you’re on your own… a lot of sitting in your hotel room by yourself at night.”

That loneliness can be jarring for a young golfer. In a team environment, Koivun has been excelling. His ball speed has jumped from around 167 mph to roughly 174 mph. That translates to 20-plus yards of added distance. At the same time, Auburn is positioned to contend for another NCAA national championship. And through it all, Koivun will also be able to finish his education.