Nick Clinard on Jackson Koivun: 'He wants to be the best player in the world'
Auburn men's golf head coach Nick Clinard reacted to Jackson Koivun's success this weekend at the 3M Open and discussed what it was like to have Koivun on his team during college.
Video Transcript
Yeah, Jackson Kovac looking for his first PGA Tour win today, coming off the end of one of the best college careers in recent memory.
Back in June, led the Auburn Tigers to an NCAA championship, while also winning the Fred Haskins Award for a second time.
Right there alongside Jackson along the way, all that success.
Auburn head coach, Nick Kleinert.
Kleinert just finished his 18th season with the Auburn Tigers, coaching the team to its second NCAA championship in the last three years.
Coach Kleinert joins us now, sitting in the airport.
We appreciate a few minutes.
How close have you been able to follow Jackson this week, first of all?
Well, I was able to watch, the last nine holes yesterday on TV.
It was great TV.
My phone was blowing up, and, and what a great time to catch it, right?
When he's shooting 28.
Well, we're learning about him now.
When did you first hear the name Jackson Kovac?
How did you kinda get on his radar, and vice versa?
Well, a long time ago now, back in the day.
I mean, he played in the Future Masters down in Dothan, and, and we knew all about him.
We knew as a young kid, a small kid, but we knew he was a winner right from the get-go.
All the Northern Cal Section stuff that he played in in, in junior golf.
He was just a guy that shot under par a ton, and, and he was just, like I said, he was a winner.
And you know, he came to a camp at a young age, and, and we just got to know him and his family over the years.
And lucky enough, he chose Auburn, and I think the rest is history.
Well, college is so competitive, even within the team, and the dynamics can be really spicy in the locker room.
What kind of teammate was he?
Phenomenal teammate.
He's a phenomenal young man.
He, just the maturation process and watching him grow as a, as a person, you know, from the inside out and, and what he's obviously done from the golf.
But from a teammate perspective, he's a leader, and, his work ethic is phenomenal.
A- a- and he's, he knows what he wants, and he wants to be the best player in the world.
I don't know if he'll ever get there or not, but I know one thing, he'll, he'll, he'll definitely, fight like crazy to get there.
He's warming up for his final round.
Three shot lead.
Coach, the golf swing, what makes it so unique and athletic in your mind?
Well, golf swings are all about matchups, and his matchups are awesome.
They're fantastic.
He's kind of a strong face player.
He adds a lot of side bend coming down to kinda hold off that club face.
And, but he's very athletic.
He moves well in the gym.
Like I said, he, he, he's a, he's incredible work ethic, too.
He, he hits it in the center of the face.
About every time he hits it, he drives the ball great.
And any time you drive it great on the PGA Tour, you're setting everything up from there.
And he's one of the best putters, if not the best putter I've ever coached.
There's so much talent, though, around the game, around the world.
Mm-hmm.
What separates him from other great players you've coached?
I'd say mindset, his mentality.
I mean, he never takes a shot off.
He, he's the most You know, I've said it over and over, he's the most positive, optimistic person I've ever coached.
And, you know, he's just an elite competitor.
Like, he just loves to compete.
He loves to play in front of people.
The more people, the merrier.
He, he's not afraid.
He's fearless.
And I look for him to play a great round of golf today.
Those are, good descriptors you're using.
We noticed, by the way, on the outside of his glove, the word dominate is written.
Mm-hmm.
And then on the inside palm, confidence and trust.
What do you know about his process and kind of that, that positive affirmation that he has on his glove?
Well, you know, listen, dominate was something he came up with last year.
I think some of it was with Fred Garcia and, and, you know, his swing coach, and Josh Gregory, his short game coach.
And it wasn't You come back to college, which he chose to do, obviously, and it wasn't just to go win a- and be a college student, it was to dominate, and he did that this year.
He dominated the college scene, and I think that's what he wants to do as a pro.
Like, he's got his sights set pretty high.
You know, he wants to not only win, but he also wants to play in these team events, in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
And, you know, he believes in himself, and, you know, he trusts himself, too, and I think all that comes through all the reps that he puts in with his work ethic.
Winning on the PGA Tour is hard.
It's stressful.
How does he handle stress, in your mind?
You know, he gets away from the game, pretty good.
He hangs out with his friends.
I mean, I, I was just talking to one of the guys on the team, and he was Snapchat, Snapchatting with him last night.
You know, so he's, he's just a kid at heart, and, he's loving this opportunity.
He's loving competing against the best players in the world.
That's his arena, and that's where he's the best.
And, you know, he, he, he's definitely, does a good job getting away from the game when it, when it's time to put the clubs in the locker.
Yeah, he says, he wants to be the best, be number one.
What kind of career could we be watching unfold right before our eyes today?
Well, I'll stick with what I've said over the years.
I think he's got a chance to be, or an opportunity to be one of the great next American players in the game.
I truly believe that.
I think with his, his elite mindset, his passion for the game, his passion to compete, and his work ethic, I think anything's possible.
How has your program changed because he walked through those doors at Auburn?
Well, we, we've won two national championships, but I, I'll say this, we got a lot of great players.
You know, it's not just him.
You know, we're not a one-pony show.
We have a lot of guys sitting in that locker room that are phenomenal young men and phenomenal players.
But he definitely raised the bar.
He raised the You know, listen, he helped all the guys get better, right?
They're all trying to compete with him, and they're seeing a, the number one amateur in the world every day, whether it be in the gym or off the golf course or on the golf course, of what he's doing, how he's preparing, how he's working, how he thinks.
I mean, it's only gonna make us all better, and it's made me a better coach.
I, I'll be the first one to admit it.
If you were putting your arm around him ahead of his tee time this afternoon, what would be your final words and thoughts to him?
I'd say the same thing I said to him last night.
I said, "Go be you.
Go be the best version of you because it's good enough.
Go do your thing, go compete, and you'll come out on top."
Nick, we appreciate a few minutes.
Safe travels, and thank you so much for your time.
Again, congratulations on a couple of national championships the last three seasons.
Thank you.
War Eagle.
