What does it look like when a once-in-a-generation talent meets a decade of "ferocious patience"? This week on This Week’s Greatest Athletes, we tell the incredible story of Jackson Koivun, the 21-year-old phenom who just stunned the sporting world by winning the 2026 3M Open only 24 days after turning professional.

We trace Jackson’s path from a nine-hole par-3 course in San Jose—where he set a legendary course record at just ten years old—to the elite fairways of the PGA Tour. You’ll hear about the "Champ" nickname given to him by his first coach, Fred Garcia, and the heartwarming letter a young Jackson wrote to Titleist at age ten asking how to earn a sponsorship.

The heart of this story lies in Jackson’s remarkable discipline and his record-breaking tenure with the Auburn Tigers. We discuss the humility of a player who swept every major collegiate award (Haskins, Hogan, Nicklaus, and Mickelson) yet still worried about making his college travel team as a freshman. We also explore his "prescient" decision to stay in school and develop his game, even after earning his Tour card early through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program.

In this episode, we break down:

The San Jose Prodigy: The framed scorecard at Santa Teresa and the early mentorship at Cinnabar Hills.

The Auburn Legend: How Koivun surpassed scoring records held by Tiger Woods and Collin Morikawa to become the most decorated player in NCAA history.

The 3M Open Climax: A hole-by-hole look at his historic Saturday 61 and how he held off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in 110-degree heat to secure a $1.5 million victory.

The "Winner's Walk": Insights from coaches and peers like Justin Thomas and Russell Henley on the "aura" that defines a champion.

Join us for a celebratory look at a young man who isn't just "competing with the big boys"—he’s leading them.

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