For the final time as an amateur, Auburn’s Jackson Koivun will tee it up this week at the U.S. Open.

After three remarkable seasons on the Plains that included two national championships, many individual accolades and one of the most decorated college careers ever, Koivun is ready for the next chapter.

The decision wasn’t automatic.

Koivun had a chance to turn professional a year ago after securing the final point needed through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. Instead, he chose to come back to Auburn for another season.

Looking back, he has no regrets.

“I just knew I wasn’t ready,” Koivun said Monday at Shinnecock Hills in New York. “It was kind of a game-time decision if I wanted to. I holed my putt on the last hole at nationals and got my 20th point there. I had about a week to make that decision, and I just wasn’t ready, and I’m very happy I made that decision.

“I think my golf game was there. I just think I wasn’t ready to leave college, and mentally just wasn’t ready for the potential hardships and the travel and everything like that. But taking another year to really wrap my mind around that was good for me, and now I’m definitely ready.”

Koivun will make his professional debut at the 2026 John Deere Classic, set for July 1-5 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. 

This week, Koivun will also debut his new apparel partnership with Malbon.

Koivun’s extra year turned into another successful one at Auburn. The Tigers defeated UCLA 4-1 to earn the program’s second national championship in three seasons and Koivun gained another season of experience competing at the highest level of college golf while preparing himself for what comes next.

Koivun won six times this season with an NCAA-best scoring average of 68.20.

He said finally embracing the idea of turning professional helped free him up mentally.

“Once I started to finally accept that I’m turning pro after this year, I felt a big weight off my shoulders and started to play pretty good this spring,” Koivun said.

Now comes one final amateur test.

The U.S. Open always presents one of the toughest challenges in golf and Koivun knows exactly what awaits him this week. He competed in the event last year at Oakmont and believes that experience should help.

“Oakmont was hard for sure,” he said. “I’ve seen a little bit of this golf course, and they’re different and the same in their own ways. I’m just excited to go out there with a smart game plan and go see what I can do.”

Brooks Koepka won the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with a score of +1.

Whatever happens this week, Koivun’s Auburn career is complete.

He arrived as one of the No. 1 recruit in the country, helped lead the Tigers to two national titles and leaves as the most accomplished player in program history.

KOIVUN’S LEGACY

Koivun earned PGA Tour membership through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program after his sophomore season. The program requires 20 points for membership and Koivun finishes his college career with more than double that total. Despite securing his Tour status a year ago, he chose to defer turning professional and return to Auburn for the 2025-26 season.

Koivun leaves Auburn as one of the most accomplished golfers in college golf history. His 11 career victories rank first in Auburn history, tied for first in SEC history and tied for seventh in NCAA history. Earlier this spring, he became the first men’s golfer to sweep all three major national player of the year awards — the Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus awards — twice. He first accomplished the feat as a freshman in 2024 before doing it again as a junior in 2026.

The All-American departs Auburn holding 16 program records. Among them are a career scoring average of 68.89 and a single-season scoring average of 68.20, both of which are NCAA records. He also owns Auburn records for career wins (11), top-10 finishes (34), sub-par rounds (87) and sub-70 rounds (62). In a single season, he set program records with six wins, 12 top-10 finishes, 196 birdies, 31 sub-par rounds and 26 sub-70 rounds. He also holds Auburn freshman records for scoring average (69.48), top-10 finishes (12), sub-par rounds (28) and sub-70 rounds (17).

In 39 career starts at Auburn, he finished inside the top 10 an astounding 34 times, good for an 87 percent top-10 rate. He finished outside the top 20 only twice during his entire college career.

His 11 victories came at the 2024, 2025 and 2026 SEC Championships, the 2024 Pinehurst Intercollegiate, the 2024 Inverness Intercollegiate, the 2025 NCAA Auburn Regional, and the 2026 Amer Ari Invitational, Gator Invitational, The Hayt, Mason Rudolph Championship and Ford Collegiate.

Koivun also represented the United States three times as an amateur, competing in the 2024 and 2025 Arnold Palmer Cups and the 2025 Walker Cup. At the Walker Cup, he contributed three points in Team USA’s 17-9 victory.

When his Auburn career comes to a close this week at the U.S. Open, Koivun will leave as the winningest golfer in program history, an NCAA record holder, a three-time SEC champion and without question the greatest player Auburn golf has ever produced.