Well, color me surprised. Apparently, turning pro in June and then absolutely dusting Scottie Scheffler by three shots at the 3M Open doesn't just get you a few free hats. Who knew? Turns out, U.S. Captain Brandt Snedeker actually noticed. Young Jackson Koivun, fresh off the college links and practically still smelling of locker room disinfectant, has somehow snagged a spot on the Presidents Cup squad.
Koivun, who just months ago was probably stressing about pop quizzes and ramen noodle budgets, is now slated to share a tee box with guys who have actual mortgages. His PGA Tour debut wasn't so much a ripple as a Category 5 hurricane, culminating in a win that had even the seasoned golf scribes doing a double-take. They always manage to find a new kid, don't they?
He apparently had the gall to think he hadn't "proved" himself enough. Bless his heart. Meanwhile, the rest of us were busy marveling that he’d just beaten the best player on the planet by three shots and set a few scoring records. Priorities, I suppose.
Koivun did manage to scrape into the FedExCup Playoffs at No. 70, essentially becoming the PGA Tour University speed-run champion. He didn't exactly set the playoffs ablaze, finishing T24 at the St. Jude, but apparently, that was more than enough for Snedeker, who’s now calling him a "generational player." High praise indeed. Or maybe it’s just a clever tactic to make the rest of the team feel ancient.
So, from teeing it up at Auburn to the Presidents Cup in less time than it takes to miss a two-footer. He’s now the second-youngest American ever picked, trailing only Jordan Spieth. If this kid implodes spectacularly, Snedeker’s face will be plastered all over the internet with X’s and O’s pointing to every poor decision. But hey, he picked him. We'll just have to wait and see how that pans out. My money's on the captain catching some flak.