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MEDINAH, Ill. – After months of heated debate about his worthiness as a captain’s pick, and after a few more days of breathless anticipation ahead of his debut, Jackson Koivun arrived on the world stage Thursday at the Presidents Cup.
It looked and felt like a significant moment in U.S. team history, the emergence of a hotshot 21-year-old who was getting his first real taste of international competition at the elite level.
In a few short months Koivun has already proven that the hype was justified; the best amateur of the past 15 years, a two-time NCAA player of the year and team national champion, won on the PGA Tour in just his third pro event. He matched Tiger Woods for the fewest starts (6) needed to qualify for the playoffs. Ask anyone around the game, players or caddies or coaches or reps, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: Koivun is very, very good.
But if you were hoping to see Koivun dominate on Thursday, to bulldoze the Internationals like he’d done at NCAAs or the Walker Cup, to issue a stern warning to Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm that he’s going to be snatching souls at the Ryder Cup next fall too ... well ... the opening fourballs session here left you wanting.
In the better-ball format, Koivun flailed his approach into the bunker on the opening hole, hooked his tee shot out of bounds on the second, nearly put another shot OB with his approach, and made two other bogeys. He was, statistically, the Americans’ worst player.
“A little shaky,” he admitted later.
But it happens, and it was a scene immediately reminiscent of another young American superstar who came of age a decade earlier at the Presidents Cup: Jordan Spieth, who was just 20 when he was picked for the 2013 edition.
In the opening session that year, Spieth was matched up with then-46-year-old Steve Stricker. On Day 1, Spieth hit two balls in the water and was out of four consecutive holes before Stricker put a reassuring arm around him. Spieth eventually settled in and went 2-1 in team play that week, setting up a half-decade run of sublime play.
There was no welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment for Koivun on Thursday, but the runout was eerily similar. After the scrappy start, he made three birdies of his own, picking his spots to make an impact while his partner, Justin Thomas, did much of the heavy lifting and provided an emotional boost. Thomas was the Americans’ best player on Day 1, and the “Iron Bowl” teammates rolled to a 4-and-3 victory – the most lopsided of the day – as part of a 3-2 session win for the U.S. team.
It was an important point for both players and their captain.
For Koivun, he officially passed his first test, even if he was far from flawless.
For U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker, he was validated in his belief that the 21-year-old could put points on the board.
And for Thomas, he quieted some of the recent criticism as the Americans’ weakest player, a “boys’ club” pick without merit. With another victory Thursday, Thomas ran his fourballs record in the Presidents Cup to a perfect 7-0 and improved to 20-9-4 overall in team competition – by far the best of any American on the roster.
But boosting Thomas’ candidacy all along was a natural partnership with Koivun. Despite the age gap, the two have become close over the past two years, playing practice rounds together, joining the same agency and staying in touch, the frequency of their conversations picking up this year as Koivun weighed his options to turn pro. Thomas has spoken glowingly all week about Koivun’s game, his maturity, his outlook, his competitiveness.
“Justin did a good job showing him the ropes,” Snedeker said. “Justin played fantastic, and Jackson got to see what U.S. golf looks like. Super happy for him, and happy for our team that you have a rookie like that getting their first point.”
Of course, it wasn’t inspiring enough for Snedeker to tear up his monthslong plans and run it back on Day 2; Koivun will sit out the foursomes session and cheer on his teammates. But it was a relief for all involved.
Another chance beckons Saturday, when Koivun can prove to thirsty American golf fans that the future is really playing now.
