Promising Prospect: Jackson Koivun Makes Major Debut at 2025 U.S. Open

Of all the young, promising talents in the world of golf, Auburn’s Jackson Koivun sits near the very top of the list. The rising junior and back-to-back SEC champion is making his major championship debut this week at the 2025 U.S. Open while occupying the top spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Oakmont Country Club is not exactly the friendliest place to debut. Understandably, Koivun’s championship got off to a nervy start. After pulling a tee shot wide left on No. 10 en route to an opening bogey, he rebounded with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, which included an incredible lag putt from 113 feet from the back of the par-5 12th green.

Much like nearly every other player in the field, Koivun took some lashings from the golf course, which is about as severe a setup as you can find without a player-led mutiny. He doubled No. 1 and bogeyed No. 2 despite hitting what he described as “good shots that didn’t get rewarded,” which he accepted as part of Oakmont’s challenge.

Ultimately, he carded four birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey for a 2-over 72. Against a field of the best players in the world, Jackson gained 3.12 strokes on approach (fifth in the field) and 2.96 strokes putting (seventh), impressive totals for a 20-year-old. After the round, he graded his performance a “B.” Currently T-33, if Koivun can back up Thursday’s round with another B-level performance or better, one of the game’s most promising prospects will see the weekend at his first major championship.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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