Days after helping the U.S. team rally for a win in the Presidents Cup, Jackson Koivun is jumping right back in action, making his debut appearance in the Bank of Utah Championship.
The 21-year-old earned 2 1/2 points as a Presidents Cup rookie after he was a somewhat controversial captain’s pick by Brandt Snedeker. Koivun teamed with Justin Thomas to beat Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria 4 and 3 in an opening-day four-ball match, and he and Thomas halved a four-ball match against Sungjae Im and Min Woo Lee on Saturday.
As part of the United States’ Sunday comeback, Koivun was 2 down to Si Woo Kim through 10 holes before prevailing 2 up. Koivun sealed the win with an 8-foot putt on the 18th hole.
The atmosphere figures to be a bit more relaxed at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah, when the Bank of Utah Championship tees off on Thursday.
“I’m definitely a little tired but excited to come out here and compete,” he told Golf Channel on Wednesday. “Just feeling like I’m coming off a good week at the Presidents Cup and before in Asheville. Just kind of keep the ball rolling coming into Utah.”
Team golf was nothing new to Koivun, who helped Auburn University win the NCAA championship in June before turning pro.
“Presidents Cup was so much fun, just being able to be in that team atmosphere again,” Koivun said Wednesday in a press conference. “It was such an experience. Then being able to come back from a pretty large deficit as a team, it was quite special to be able to put a point up for Team USA.”
Koivun needed just three events as a pro before earning his first PGA Tour win at the 3M Open in July, and now he is looking to add another.
After getting his first look at the Black Desert layout, Koivun told Golf Channel, “I’ve never played out here before. Obviously I knew Utah is beautiful, and this definitely lives up to expectations.
“I think iron play’s going to be really important. I think there’s going to be some low scores, as shown last year. The course definitely has its teeth, but if you drive it well and keep it in the fairway, you can make a lot of birdies.”
Koivun is the only member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team teeing it up this week. He will be competing against two members of the Presidents Cup’s International team, Canada’s Nick Taylor and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
