​Who is Jackson Koivun? Meet the 21-year-old golf phenom leading the 3M Open originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Jackson Koivun may be unfamiliar to casual golf fans, but the 21-year-old has been viewed as a future PGA Tour star for years. Now he is one round away from making that arrival official.Koivun fired a 10-under 61 during the third round of the 2026 3M Open on Saturday, reaching 20-under for the tournament and securing the first 54-hole lead of his PGA Tour career.The former Auburn superstar began the day three shots off the lead before producing a historic finish at TPC Twin Cities. Koivun played the back nine in a tournament-record 28, closing with a stunning birdie-birdie-eagle run. He will carry a three-shot advantage over Emiliano Grillo into Sunday’s final round. Michael Brennan, Chandler Phillips and Ben Kohles finished another shot behind at 16-under.“Historic finish for the 21-year-old pro,” the PGA Tour wrote on social media. “Jackson Koivun ends the day with his first 54-hole lead and the back-nine scoring record.”Here is everything to know about the young golfer attempting to win in only his third start as a professional.Who is Jackson Koivun?Koivun is a 21-year-old American professional golfer and former No. 1-ranked amateur. He was born May 23, 2005, in San Jose, California. His parents are George and Meghan Koivun, and he is their only child. Koivun learned golf from his father at a young age. He has said he first beat George on the course when he was only seven. The family moved from California to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before Koivun’s senior year of high school. He graduated as the No. 1 golf recruit in the 2023 class and received scholarship offers from several prominent programs.Historic finish for the 21-year-old pro!Jackson Koivun ends the day with his first 54-hole lead and the back-nine scoring record @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/1oPQYxs7jY— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 25, 2026Koivun considered Duke, Illinois, North Carolina, Pepperdine, SMU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. One unofficial visit to Auburn convinced him that he had found the right college. That decision worked out spectacularly for both sides.Jackson Koivun’s historic Auburn careerKoivun did not need time to adjust to college golf. He produced one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history during the 2023-24 campaign. Koivun won the SEC individual championship by six strokes, finished tied for second at the NCAA Championship and helped Auburn capture the first men’s golf national title in program history.He went 7-0 in match play and finished outside the top six only once in 13 starts. Koivun became the first freshman to win SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year during the same season. He was also the first player in college golf history to sweep all four major individual honors in one year:Fred Haskins AwardBen Hogan AwardJac