Jackson Koivun has already beaten his ticket for the PGA Tour. De Wereld No. 1 Amateur earned his card through the PGA Tour University accelerated but postponing its professional career until after another year at Auburn.
Although professional life will come soon enough for Koivun, he still has a few amateur goals to check before he goes to the PGA Tour. One of them arrives this week, where Koivun will lead the Americans against Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup 2025 on Cypress Point. Making the Walker Cup team became important for Koivun when he looked at the 2021 Walker Cup in Seminole Golf Club. That goal became even more important for the Auburn star when he heard that the 2025 event was being held at Cypress Point, not far from where he grew up in San Jose.
Koivun played in the Cypress Point Classic in 2023 and held a reminder of his first trip to the famous club to encourage him to reach his dream to return as a member of the Walker Cup team of 2025. The Motivator? A golf pencil.
“I would say that the first time I looked at the Walker Cup was in Seminole,” said Koivun on Thursday prior to the Walker Cup. “That was the first time I really got a first look, and from that moment I just wanted to be really part of the team. I was a bit young to make [the 2023 team at] St Andrews, but it was something I wished I was part of, and since I was my first year, Cypress Point here, I have saved a Cypress pencil in my Yardage book here and I told myself that I would get a new one as soon as I played the Walker Cup here, so maybe I get my pencil. “
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Team USA will lean on Cypress Point on the World No. 1 amateur on Cypress Point this weekend. That is a burden that Koivun is ready to wear after a summer in which he saw T11-T5-T6 go in three PGA Tour after he missed the cut at the US Open.
“I would just say experience in recent years,” Koivun said when he was asked to be anchor of the team. “I was lucky to play a lot of match play, ncaas, match play tournament here, all those fun things. Just pick up experience, how you play match play, who works well with who, all that kind of things. Just lean on it and whether Cap wants to place me for all four or what is his decision for that, it is up to him, and I am happy with whatever.”
On Saturday Koivun and Tommy Morrison 3 and 1 lost to Tyler Weaver and Connor Graham. But Koivun bounced back in the Saturday singles while he sent weaver 4 and 3.
Koivun and the Americans will have their hands full with a talented GB&I team that received a motivating message from Rory McIlroy before the start of Saturday’s Tour. But the Americans have the number 1 amateur by their side, and Jackson Koivun plans to leave Cipres with a victory – and a new pencil – for quite some time.
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