Let's pump the brakes on anointing Jackson Koivun after one win

This clip from 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. is one of many that popped up online after Koivun drained his par putt on the 18th hole to secure his three-shot victory at TPC Twin Cities. Everyone loves identifying the next superstar in golf, but that seldom pans out. 

The most direct comparison here involves Matthew Wolff, who also won the 3M Open in his third career professional start after a brilliant college career. He hasn't won a single tournament since that day in 2019, and he ranks 26th in LIV Golf's individual standings this season.

More recently, Luke Clanton was dubbed the next big thing after dominating the college ranks at Florida State and recording two runner-up finishes and a solo fifth in his first seven PGA Tour starts. Since turning pro in 2025, Clanton has 13 missed cuts and one top-25 finish in 29 starts. 

This issue also exists on a larger scale with players such as Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa. 

Spieth entered Tiger Woods conversations when he won three major championships before the age of 24. Fast forward nearly a decade, and Spieth is still stuck on three majors and only 10 PGA Tour victories. He hasn't won on Tour in more than four years. 

Morikawa had a similar career arc in that he won two majors in his first eight tries, but he hasn't won one since. In fact, he has only five PGA Tour wins to his name as he approaches the age of 30. 

Maybe Koivun is different. Maybe he really is the next Scheffler, but it's impossible to know that at this juncture. It's unfair to place unrealistic expectations on a kid who was just able to have his first legal drink two months ago. Let this play out for a few years before anointing Koivun the next all-time great.