AUBURN — Jackson Koivun is on track to become the sport's next superstar, and at just 21 years old he is already drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods. Just months into his professional career, Koivun won his third PGA Tour event at the 3M Open after being chased down by Scottie Scheffler and beat Si Woo Kim on Sunday at the Presidents Cup to secure a comeback victory for Team USA, following one of the greatest college careers of all time.
That trajectory has prompted claims that Koivun already shares a rare skill with Woods: knowing how to win. Speaking on Trey Wingo Golf, Trey Wingo said, "You have to be talented to win on the PGA Tour. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is there's playing well, and there's having a gorgeous swing, and then there's winning, and that's a different skill set. That is a different skill set that some of the greatest, most talented players never fully comprehend or can get their hands around."
Wingo added that Koivun's poise separates him from many young stars, noting his soft hands, thought process around the green and prodigious length off the tee are not enough without the winning mindset. "Those are all wonderful attributes, but at some point you have to learn how to win. And you know that was Tiger's greatest skill when he jumped from his amateur career and Stanford career to the PGA Tour. He had already developed the skill set to win, and Jackson is following in those footsteps for me," Wingo said. He added, "There are guys that are just built to win," citing how even Justin Thomas — an Alabama guy talking about Auburn's Koivun — has said, "I got to give him this credit. He's that good, and he has that mindset, that sort of missing DNA piece that we talk about."
Koivun's poise has been linked to his decision to stay in college an extra year to mature, a move that confused many who thought he was ready-made for the PGA Tour. That choice echoes what Woods once called his biggest regret. Speaking to CBS Sports back in 2026, Woods said, "[Being Tiger Woods is] a burden in the sense that it – the amount of obligations that I have at a tournament. The anonymity that was lost that, you know, one – the – you know, if you look back, the only regret I have in life is not spending another year at Stanford, and I wish I would've had one more year."
Koivun said he needed another season dominating the NCAA circuit to learn how to win week in and week out, and that experience has left the moment unfazed for him in big spots. After navigating the spotlight that Woods said he was never fully prepared for, Koivun's extra year in school is now viewed as a foundation for long-term success.