Auburn's Jackson Koivun has checked every box — now he's going pro

by Shon Crewe

Updated: June 12, 2026 | Published: June 6, 2026

Editor's note: Updated to reflect Auburn's second NCAA team title and Jackson Koivun turning professional.

A chapter closes. Jackson Koivun has announced he’s turning professional.

"Dear Auburn, thank you for the most incredible college experience I could have ever imagined," he shared Friday on Instagram. "I've loved every moment of the last three years, from bringing home a pair of national championships to the late nights and early mornings grinding at the facility and competing alongside guys I'll call brothers for the rest of my life.

"I've decided to forgo my senior year to pursue my lifelong dream of playing on the PGA Tour."

Koivun will compete in his final event as an amateur in next week's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills before making his pro debut at the John Deere Classic, July 2–5, where he'll also debut his apparel partnership with Malbon.

For a player whose college career checked every box, the move was inevitable.

World No. 1. Two national championships. Record three-time SEC Player of the Year. A Jack Nicklaus, Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan, and Phil Mickelson award stack. Team USA Walker Cup and Palmer Cup wins. Tremendous accomplishments for a college golfer. A phenomenal feat for any athlete.

With a $2.5 million Golf NIL Valuation to close out his college career and top billing on the Golf NIL College Men's Rankings, Koivun has earned a place in an arena where, not long ago, a player of his talent would have had to fight his way in. Being the best at this game delivered awards and accolades, but following the last college round, players still had to start from scratch and build their careers from the ground up.

Thanks to the resources gained through the Tigers’ system, the pathway forged by the PGA Tour, and opportunities made available through NIL, Koivun is now armed with a rare kind of readiness.

Auburn's Jackson Koivun en route to his second NCAA team championship at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, Calif. | Getty Images

The Chapel Hill native is well equipped for what's next. He's also given back.

Auburn has afforded him a platform where he could thrive, along with everything that comes with the college experience. In turn, he's put an exclamation point on the program’s reputation as one of the best in the country.

The PGA Tour has handed him a future through the Accelerated program. In return, he's given PGA Tour University additional validation. He's also become another prime example of the Tour's best asset, its players, while giving the league's fans a storyline worth following.

NIL has helped him build the infrastructure of a professional career that he can now bring with him. He's helped elevate golf's standing in NIL, showing what's possible at the top and giving the game greater credibility in the landscape. That credibility raises the floor for everyone.

Throughout his time at Auburn, Koivun's brand partners included Titleist, FootJoy, Betterment, Omni Hotels, Old Republic, Upper Deck, and Foresight Sports, along with Auburn, a logo he's worn by choice in non-collegiate events.

He closes out his college career with 11 wins (six for the season), an all-time program record.

As an amateur, he’s already counted nine PGA Tour starts and seven made cuts, including three top 10s: T6 at the ISCO Championship, T5 at the Wyndham Championship, and T4 at the Procore Championship, where he played in the final group and sat solo second entering Sunday. That trifecta made him the first amateur since Ken Venturi in 1956 to post three consecutive PGA Tour top 10 finishes.

It's an elite of the elite college resume. It's also one hell of a head start on a professional career.