The era of Jackson Koivun has officially arrived.
On Friday morning, the decorated 21-year-old golfer from Auburn University announced that he would turn pro after the US Open next week at Shinnecock, ending an amateur career that saw him become DataGolf’s the most highly rated amateur player of the modern era.
Koivun represents a major coup for golf pros. He enters the PGA Tour as one of the the best young people to register through the amateur ranks in the 2020s – a rising star with an already jam-packed resume and no shortage of hype.
He will leave Auburn before his first season with the Tigers, ending a career that features three SEC individual titles and two NCAA team championships, the last of which came just one week ago at the NCAA Championships in San Diego.
Koivun has made his debut on the PGA Tour for the past several years as a top amateur playing with sponsor exemptions. Like Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent, Koivun earned PGA Tour membership through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program and will have the opportunity to receive and begin playing immediately on professional golf’s biggest tour. following a new path defined in the LIV era.
The 21-year-old will make his final amateur start at the 126th US Open in Shinnecock, where he will compete among a host of young stars on the major championship stage.
As for his transition to major tournament play, Koivu should arrive with few surprises. He recorded top-15 finishes in four of his six PGA Tour starts in 2025, and has recorded top-five finishes in two of them. Perhaps the biggest change will come in his apparel: Koivun also announced Friday that he had signed an apparel sponsorship deal with Malbo, ending a significant bidding war for his services.
Koivun won’t have to wait long after the US Open to make his grand debut at the big tournament. He is scheduled to make his first professional start at the John Deere Classic over the July 4th weekend.
