Koivun: Could have turned pro after sophomore year but wasn't ready
Jackson Koivun is making his final amateur start at the 2026 U.S. Open. He spoke to reporters at Shinnecock Hills about what he's seen from the course so far and why he waited a year before turning pro.
Video Transcript
Haskins Award winner for the second time, joining Ben Crenshaw, Bobby Clampett, and Phil Mickelson as the only multi-time recipients.
Koivinen has announced he will not be returning to Auburn for his senior season.
He'll turn pro before playing in this year's John Deere Classic.
Fred Haskins Award, presented by Stifel, is awarded every year to the most outstanding male collegiate golfer.
So we take a look at some of the former winners who are in the field this week.
Quite a list of players who have gone on to do great things in this game.
Jackson Koivinen of that ilk.
And with the media.
This college season was great.
It exceeded all expectations.
obviously to cap it off with, the national championship was, was so much fun with my teammates.
And just, just to go out there and to enjoy college golf for, for one last year was, was really fun.
You did play in the US Open last year at Oakmont.
What were some of the takeaways and, and what are you gonna bring this week that you learned last year?
Oakmont was hard, for sure.
this I've seen a little bit of this golf course and they're, they're different and the s- and the same in their own ways, and I'm just excited to go out there with a, with a smart game plan, and, I guess see what I can do.
Have you played Shinnecock yet?
And if so, what are some of your Okay, you have not yet.
What, what are some of your expectations about the golf course?
What have you heard of, about it?
Yeah.
I mean, I hadn't played Shinnecock until this week.
I played 18 yesterday and 9 this morning.
You know, you look at the scores and I think there's only been a handful of guys to ever shoot under par for four rounds out here, so just getting into that mindset that making, making pars is, is a good score, and, managing your mistakes, and accepting that sometimes you can hit a good shot and it not pay off.
Having already won a, a NCAA title, what, what kept you from turning pro last year?
You could have, right?
Yeah.
I could have chan- turned pro after, after sophomore year, but I just knew I wasn't ready.
It was kind of a game time decision if I wanted to.
I, I holed my putt on the last hole at nationals and got my 20th point there.
And I had about a week to make that decision, and I just wasn't ready, and very happy I made that decision.
What about you wasn't ready, do you think?
I think my golf game was there.
I just think I wasn't ready Sorry.
I wasn't ready to leave college, and, mentally just wasn't, wasn't ready for the potential, the hardships and the, the travel and everything like that.
But, you know, th- taking another year to really wrap my w- mind around that, was, was good for me, and now I'm definitely ex-
