Phil Mickelson has tipped amateur talent Jackson Koivun for greatness after witnessing his PGA Tour heroics, with the six-time major winner keen to sign the Auburn talent to his LIV Golf team
Phil Mickelson has his eyes on Jackson Koivun as he looks to fill a vacancy on his LIV Golf team(Image: Patrick McDermott, Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson has a vacant position on his LIV Golf team, and the six-time major winner has made it clear he’s keen to recruit record-breaking amateur starlet Jackson Koivun. The 20-year-old studies at Auburn University, known for its successful golfing programmes, but he has already managed to cause quite a stir on the PGA Tour this season.
Not only has he been an exceptional performer in the university circuit for the Auburn Tigers, but has also proven himself against seasoned professionals. Koivun has competed in seven PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments this season, including the gruelling US Open at Oakmont, which was the site of his only missed cut.
In four tournaments since then, he has secured T11 or better finishes, and he only narrowly trailed world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at last week’s Procore Championship.
Scheffler secured victory at 19-under-par following an outstanding final round in Napa, California, with Koivun finishing just three strokes behind. By achieving that, he became the first amateur to secure three consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since Ken Venturi in 1956.
Such displays have unsurprisingly caught Mickelson’s attention, who needs to fill a spot on his LIV Golf side, the HyFlyers, following Andy Ogletree’s relegation last month. Mickelson, 55, went on record with his admiration of Koivun, suggesting on social media that he will attempt to entice the youngster to join the HyFlyers.
“This young man is an amazing talent and destined for greatness. He would also look great in a HyFlers outfit,” Mickelson posted on X, adding a winking emoji. LIV made its entry into the professional golf world by poaching big names from the PGA Tour, including Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.
However, the breakaway league’s approach has significantly shifted in recent seasons, focusing more on recruiting talents straight from university. LIV’s goal is to build its own stars to supplement the core of big names.
The likes of Josele Ballester and Caleb Surratt, formerly of Arizona State and Tennessee, respectively, are evidence of LIV’s new tactic, and they have both acquitted themselves well in their first steps as professionals.
Amateur Jackson Koivun has impressed some of golf’s biggest names(Image: Getty Images)
Koivun is the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, with five wins in 42 counting events. His success comes as no surprise after being the highest-ranked recruit in the 2023 class.
And he’s lived up to that potential in NCAA competition. He clinched the Haskins Award, given to the outstanding player in college golf, as a freshman in 2024. He also claimed an award named after Mickelson, the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award.
He narrowly missed out on the NCAA Individual Championship in 2024, finishing tied for second, but his performance was enough to guide the Tigers to their first national title in the programme’s history.
Koivun has already secured a PGA Tour card through its University Accelerated programme, but he’s put it on hold until next year. He’s chosen to return to Auburn in pursuit of an individual national title.
Once the 2025/26 university season ends, he’ll likely be faced with the biggest decision of his career to date. PGA Tour membership has already been secured, but it is clear Mickelson – and other LIV teams, for that matter – will have their eyes on signing one of the top talents in the sport.
