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PGA newcomer with no Tour win could become Scottie Scheffler’s top rival in the decade

Originally posted on HITC | By Antony Martin | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 10:46 AM ET

Scottie Scheffler might have a surprising new rival emerging on the PGA Tour next season, and it is not one of the usual suspects.

Scheffler dominated the 2025 season, picking up six wins, including two majors, and drawing comparisons to some of the game’s greats.

His run at world number one now stands at 163 weeks, a remarkable stretch that has seen him pile up 19 PGA Tour wins since February 2022.

In 2025, the 29-year-old demonstrated exceptional performance in his irons play, driving, and putting.

Scheffler is now just a US Open title away from completing the career Grand Slam. Many believe it is only a matter of time before he joins that elite club.

Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele remain in the conversation as serious challengers to Scheffler’s reign, but there is growing excitement around another name – one who has not even turned professional yet.

Jackson Koivun is emerging as a potential challenge to Scottie Scheffler’s PGA Tour dominance

With McIlroy battling motivation issues and Schauffele struggling to find consistency, there is room for new faces to emerge. And one young amateur is already starting to make waves in the early going.

Some players have a noticeable presence from the moment they set foot on the PGA Tour. It is not something you can easily describe, but you know it when you see it.

Tiger Woods had it when he arrived in 1996, and Jordan Spieth showed similar qualities 17 years later.

There is now a new name attracting attention, and he may have what it takes to disrupt Scheffler’s stronghold at the top of golf.

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Jackson Koivun, currently the world’s top-ranked amateur golfer, has earned the conviction of PGA Tour players and caddies, who see him as the real deal.

Koivun made his way onto the professional circuit through the PGA TOUR University Accelerated programme. However, he has chosen to delay his membership by a year so he can continue playing college golf during his junior season at Auburn.

The numbers back up the hype: the 20-year-old has participated in nine PGA Tour events to date, successfully making the cut seven times. His performance includes two top-five finishes and three top-ten finishes.

Why Jackson Koivun is getting noticed by pros

Koivun built a reputation for being a strong driver of the ball, regularly hitting speeds around 175 mph with impressive accuracy.

He is known for his distance control and iron play. Both stand out as strengths in his game, showing clear similarities to what makes Scheffler so effective.

If you saw him during the Walker Cup at Cypress Point, you would have also noticed how comfortable he looked around the greens.

His game seems well-rounded, and whether he can regularly win at the top level might just come down to mental strength.

The early signs suggest that part of his game will not hold him back either.

Even Phil Mickelson has already spoken about Koivun’s potential, saying: “This young man is an amazing talent and destined for greatness.”

There are still a lot of steps between where Koivun is now and where Scheffler sits at the top. But all signs point to a player who has what it takes to make an impact over the long haul.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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