While many were watching the Procore Championship with one eye firmly on the Ryder Cup, it was arguably the performance of a player who will not be at Bethpage which emerged as one of the biggest talking points at Silverado.
Jackson Koivun continued to show why the hopes are so high for his future after another outstanding display on the PGA Tour. The 20-year-old finished tied for fourth at the Procore Championship, three shots behind Scottie Scheffler.
Koivun went into the week off the back of finishing tied for sixth at the ISCO Championship in July before ending up one place higher at the Wyndham Championship before the FedEx Cup playoffs.
There is surely no doubt at all that golf appears to have found yet another superstar.
Trevor Immelman questions Jackson Koivun’s decision after the Procore Championship
Of course, Koivun remains an amateur. He has already earned his card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated programme. However, he has decided to delay taking up the opportunity until next summer at least.
And it seems that not everyone is convinced that Koivun has made the right call.
Taking to social media during the final round in Napa, Trevor Immelman insisted that Koivun should have taken the steps to turn professional, posting: ‘Jackson Koivun is a stud, if I was him I’d turn pro immediately.‘
It was also pointed out to Immelman that Koivun had rejected the chance to take up his full card for the time being.
Nick Dunlap’s fortunes in 2025 act as a cautionary tale to Jackson Koivun
If Koivun is every bit as good as he appears to be, he is surely right to bide his time. There is so much time for him to make an impact as a professional.
Perhaps what has happened to Nick Dunlap in 2025 encouraged him to not get carried away. Dunlap understandably turned professional after winning The American Express in 2024.
He did go on to win the Barracuda Championship later in the year. However, he has missed 11 of his last 16 cuts, with Dunlap making headlines after shooting 90 on Thursday at The Masters.
The 21-year-old will turn his form around at some stage. But perhaps his fortunes highlight the risk that any youngster takes when they decide to deviate from the pathway which brought them so much success.
It is hard to see how Koivun will suffer in the long-term by deciding to remain an amateur for now.
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