Jack Nicklaus sends direct message to PGA Tour's newest star

Multiple major champion Jack Nicklaus has hailed Jackson Koivun after the rookie held off Scottie Scheffler to claim his first PGA Tour title at the 3M Open. 

The 21-year-old finished the penultimate event of the PGA Tour's regular season at a tournament record of 25-under par at TPC Twin Cities, three clear of the world number one. 

Koivun began the final round with a three-shot advantage after firing a third-round 61, highlighted by a tournament-record 28 on the back nine. 

He never relinquished control on Sunday, responding to every challenge before having to steady his nerves down the stretch after Scheffler set the clubhouse target.

In the immediate aftermath of victory, Koivun told how he never thought the job was done until he hit the 18th fairway and had to tune out chants of: "Scottie's gonna get ya!"

Nicklaus took to Instagram to praise Koivun, explaining that he always knew the former Auburn star was going to make an impression but "we didn't know how soon". 

The Golden Bear believes it is only the start of what will be a terrific pro career.

He posted:

‘We certainly knew Jackson Koivun was going to make an impression on the @pgatour, but we didn’t know how soon. And not sure we thought this soon! What @jackson_koivun did this week at the @3mopen was simply a great performance. To also have world No. 1, @scottie.scheffler, who starts the day 6 shots back, shoot 63, well, it didn’t even faze Jackson. Scottie shoots 63, which means Jackson—just 21 years old and making his third start as a pro—has to shoot in the 60s to win the golf tournament. And he did! He shoots 65 and wins by 3! That’s pretty darn good for a young guy and pretty good for the game of golf. It’s refreshing to see the young guys come along. I love to see the new blood come in and enjoy success.

‘I’m very happy for Jackson—our latest Bear’s Club member and winner! Jackson, you had a great college career (2 @ncaa team titles at @auburnmgolf, 2 Jack Nicklaus Awards) and great amateur career (tied low am at 2026 @usopengolf), and, now, this is just the start of what should be a terrific pro career. Congrats on your first TOUR win, and we wish you well!‘

What Jackson Koivun said about his first PGA Tour win

Koivun told reporters he did not expect to be so competitive so quickly. 

"I know the PGA Tour is hard and it's very competitive, and fortunately enough I was able to get quite a few sponsor exemptions last summer to kind of get acquainted with the feeling of playing on the PGA Tour," he said. 

"These last three events have been definitely a little bit of a wake-up call getting back into the swing of things on the PGA Tour, but I'm just excited with the way I played this week."

Asked what his biggest strength is, Koivun said: "I would say my mentality. 

"I feel like I've gotten a lot better over the past couple years of being able to beat guys with my mentality. 

"Sometimes I watch guys hit on the range and I don't feel like I'm the most talented out there, but if I can go out there and believe and use my brain to my advantage, then that's definitely kind of like a superpower."