One win has put Jackson Koivun on the map. It might also be enough to get him a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Koivun won the 3M Open on Sunday in Minnesota in his third start since turning pro. The 21-year-old, a former college star and No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, went 25 under par at TPC Twin Cities and beat World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by three shots.
Not only did it secure Koivun a two-year exemption on tour and an invitation to the Masters, it also put him in the playoff hunt.
Koivun jumped 124 spots in the FedEx Cup points race to No. 70, the final spot that will qualify for the first leg of the playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, with two weeks to go in the regular season.
Koivun is ahead of recognizable names such as Australia’s Jason Day (No. 74), Keegan Bradley (No. 76), Brooks Koepka (No. 84) and Tony Finau (No. 87), who would miss the playoffs were the season to end Monday.
The 3M Open victory also vaulted Koivun from No. 206 to No. 73 in the Official World Golf Ranking. When Koivun entered the U.S. Open for his final start as an amateur, he was ranked No. 260; by making the cut and tying for 23rd there, he moved up to No. 217. He’d since climbed a bit higher after tying for 10th at the ISCO Championship.
Koivun was a three-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, a three-time All-American and a two-time national champion at Auburn. He turned pro ahead of the John Deere Classic in early July.
