Jackson Koivun Wins Presidents Cup Debut With Justin Thomas

By Staff Writer

September 25, 2026

2 min read

Justin Thomas competes in a recent team golf event

Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Key takeaways

Jackson Koivun, 21, is the second-youngest American in Presidents Cup history behind only Jordan Spieth, who was 20 in 2013.
Koivun and Justin Thomas beat Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria 4 and 3 in Thursday four-ball play at Medinah.
Koivun turned pro after this year's U.S. Open and won the 3M Open in just his third PGA Tour start.
Captain Brandt Snedeker chose Koivun as a captain's pick over major champions J.J. Spaun, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.

Jackson Koivun made his Presidents Cup debut alongside Justin Thomas on Thursday at Medinah Country Club, and the 21-year-old rookie held up his end of a 4-and-3 win over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria.

How did Jackson Koivun perform in his Presidents Cup debut?

Koivun split the fairway with his opening tee shot, then snap-hooked a drive out of bounds at the second before answering with a birdie at the par-5 third to win the hole. He stuffed a pitch shot at the par-5 sixth for another birdie as the Americans built a 3-up lead through six holes, and he finished as the top putter among the 20 golfers who played Thursday. Conners, who remains winless in four career Presidents Cup four-ball matches, and debutant Echavarria never mounted a serious response.

Why did Brandt Snedeker pick Koivun for the team?

Snedeker used one of his six captain's picks on Koivun over more established names such as major champions J.J. Spaun, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed. At 21, Koivun is the second-youngest American to play in the event behind Jordan Spieth, who was 20 in 2013, and the sixth-youngest competitor in Presidents Cup history overall. Koivun turned professional after this year's U.S. Open, won the 3M Open in only his third PGA Tour start and qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs in just five starts.

A captain who passed on three major champions for a five-start rookie was betting on nerve, not resume.

What is the Koivun-Thomas connection?

Snedeker paired the rookie with Thomas, who improved to 7-0-0 in career Presidents Cup four-ball matches. The two share an agent at Excel Sports Management and played practice rounds together during Koivun's U.S. Open appearances, with Thomas serving as a sounding board as Koivun weighed when to leave Auburn, where he won two national championships, and turn pro. Thomas has been mentored by veterans in his own team debuts, including Rickie Fowler at the 2017 Presidents Cup and Tiger Woods in 2019, and said he wanted to offer Koivun the same support.