NAPA, Calif. (AP) — One week Jackson Koivun was leading the Americans to victory in the Walker Cup, the next week he looks ready to take on a couple of Americans who will be playing the Ryder Cup.
Koivun delivered plenty of big shots Friday afternoon in the Procore Championship, none bigger than a 3-iron to 30 inches on the par-5 12th hole for an eagle, and had a 6-under 66 at Silverado to finish three shots out of the lead going into the weekend.
A big surprise? Hardly.
Koivun, who grew up about two hours away in San Jose, is the No. 1 amateur in the world. He already has done enough to secure a PGA Tour card when the Auburn junior decides to turn pro. He has missed only one cut in his six previous PGA Tour starts this year, and in his most recent one he tied for fifth at the Wyndham Championship.
Small wonder then that when he bumped into Russell Henley — one of 10 Americans who will play in the Ryder Cup next week — he wasn’t asking for his autograph. They know each other because Henley lives in Columbus, Georgia, about 30 miles from Auburn.
“I ran into Russell Henley on the range and told him I was going to catch him,” Koivun said with a smile. “So that was my objective.”
He caught him, but didn’t pass him.
Ben Griffin was leading after two bogey-free rounds put him at 14-under 130. Henley had a 68 and was three shots behind, along with Koivun.
“We’ll have a little internal match going these next two days,” Koivun said.
The amateur star has reason to be running on fumes. He went 3-1 at Cypress Point last week in the Walker Cup, which the Americans won with ease.
The celebration wasn’t too crazy — Koivun is only 20 and it was a young team — and he arrived in wine country and tried to blend some practice and rest.
Koivun calls this a big year for learning, but he has shown a game that turns heads. Along with his tie for fifth in the PGA Tour’s final regular-season event, he tied for sixth at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky (the same week as the British Open) and tied for 11th in the John Deere Classic. His only missed cut was the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
“There’s a lot to learn out there,” Koivun said. “I’m trying to do it as quickly as I can before I turn pro, whether that’s the end of this year, end of next year. Just trying to fully understand what goes on inside the ropes.”
He had three birdies in five holes at the start to get pointed in the right direction after opening with a 67. Then came the 12th hole and his best shot of the day.
“That 3-iron was pretty good,” he said.
He saw the leaderboards, yes, but it wasn’t to soak in seeing his name on them. It was realizing he had time to atone for pulling a drive out-of-bounds at the 14th (he still managed bogey), and he did just that with a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 15th.
Koivun goes into the weekend in the penultimate group, paired with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, curious to see where it will lead.
“I’m trying to become the best, and I’ve just got to keep putting myself in situations that I can perform well in, and practicing my tail off in the offseason or when I’m not competing just to get better,” he said.
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