Rookie Koivun holds off Scheffler for maiden PGA winImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Less than two months ago, Jackson Koivun helped Auburn win the US college championship for the second time in three yearsByBen CollinsBBC Sport journalistPublished46 minutes ago3M Open final leaderboard-25 J Koivun (US); -22 S Scheffler (US); -20 D McCarthy (US), B Harman (US), C Phillips (US), H Matsuyama (Jpn)Selected others: -17 S Power (Ire), G Woodland (US) M Kim (US); -16 Knapp (US); -13 J Parry (Eng)Full leaderboard
American rookie Jackson Koivun held his nerve to beat Scottie Scheffler by three strokes and claim his first PGA Tour win at the 3M Open on Sunday.
Playing in just his third tournament since turning professional, Koivun surged into a three-shot lead on Saturday during a round of 10-under 61.
The 21-year-old then stretched his lead to five in the final round at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, before world number one Scheffler applied pressure.
The four-time major winner began the back nine with three straight birdies, then claimed two more in the final three holes to finish with an eight-under 63 and trail compatriot Koivun by two strokes.
Former world amateur number one Koivun could have wobbled at that point, with holes left to play, but instead he made his fifth birdie of the day at 16 before wrapping up a five-under 66 to finish on 25 under par overall.
“I had some nerves coming down 18,” stated Koivun. “All throughout the crowd I kept hearing ‘Scottie’s coming, Scottie’s coming’.
“I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could and was able to find some good putts coming down the stretch.”
American trio Denny McCarthy, Brian Harman and Chandler Phillips finished five strokes behind Koivun, in a tie for third with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
Michael Kim fired a 12-under 59 on Friday, but the American finished in a tie for 10th after closing with rounds of 70 and 69.
