Jackson Koivun vs. Scottie Scheffler and the season’s biggest awards

Check in every week for the unfiltered views of our writers and editors as they analyze the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we talk Jackson Koivun’s 3M Open win, recap the big season and check out the latest bad news from LIV Golf.

Jackson Koivun has outlasted a number of major champions – including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler – to win the 3M Open on Sunday in Minnesota in what was the budding star’s 13th start. What did you think of Koivun’s maiden victory on the PGA Tour, and are you surprised he caught Scheffler?

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): It was very impressive, and then he made it somewhat relevant with a clunky par down the stretch. Still, we can call that a good estimate. He made big putts when he needed to and rarely showed emotion until his winning putt dropped on 18. It was cool to see his reaction afterwards. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped a shot or two to give Scheffler a shot, but he hit the fairway and green and putted well and played like someone who knew he was closing out the tournament.

Josh Schrock, news editor (@Schrock_And_Awe): The calmness is what impressed me. Even with the lead going into Sunday, I expected Koivun to look his age, especially with Scheffler stepping up behind him. But he didn’t waver, he never gave anyone on the field an opening and he went to the first one that I think he will win many times. Am I surprised you caught Scheffler? Because of the gap he had to start that day, no, but I’m surprised there wasn’t any doubt on Sunday.

Josh Sens, senior author (@joshsens): I was struck by how unmoving he was. This wasn’t a young player just hanging around to win. A bird out of the gate and there is no stopping from there. There are former golf talents, of course. But not all show such calmness for veterans.

Scheffler’s impressive debut at the 3M Open led to soaring ticket sales and was the biggest draw for the Minnesota event in its young history. However, when the Tour introduces its new two-track schedule in 2028, players in the Championship Series will not be able to come down to play events in the Challenger Series. While it’s unclear what direction the 3M Open will take in two years, the kind of star-studded matchup we saw this week may be a thing of the past. Is that undermining competitions and communities? Or just the price of doing business with the new Tour structure?

How: It can be both. As a Minnesota resident who attends this tournament every year – I bought a nice mug from the merch tent this time – I’ve never seen crowds like this. Attendance is usually strong, but one group rarely pulls through the entire course as Scottie does from Thursday to Sunday. It was nice to see. But the tour schedule was going to be adjusted again, and I understand why this rule had to be put in place. It seems very difficult to let one start here or there for some guys and it can be awkward.

Scrock: The answer is both. We saw this at John Deere in terms of the former champions not being able to play and those who won the Track 2 event not being able to defend their title the following year. It’s exciting for great golf communities like Minnesota and the Quad Cities that they won’t be able to see stars like Scottie or Jordan Spieth, but the Tour just couldn’t continue the way it was. It needed to be adjusted to make the schedule and stakes easier to understand so that everything leads somewhere and we don’t just have 40 one-off events heading into season confusion.

Senses: There is no doubt that the system had to change. The question is whether these changes really solve the root problem, which is that there are only so many golfers that people really want to watch. Without the big names on the field and the eyeballs they draw, how long will the low-water event survive? Do we simply postpone the inevitable when the schedule must be reduced further?

Now that you have a few days to digest the 2026 big men’s season, let’s think. Which is the biggest you took out of the four majors?

How: That it’s been a… odd year? Stars like Rory and Scottie and Bryson and Xander and Brooks were the winners three years ago, but this year Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai made a surprise entry. And then there’s Wyndham Clark, who won a major before, but let’s be honest – how crazy is it that the guy who blew up the lockers at the US Open won that same tournament one year later? Oh, and that since he’s American, he was booed by American fans the entire last round? Another takeaway: With two Masters wins and playing for house money, Rory could be a legitimate threat at Augusta for another decade. Finally, this is a fun fact that I found funny, but Scottie has finished outside the top 10 just twice in the last three years. It is very difficult to overcome these; I’d like to say that, of course, he gets it next year, but he still played great golf in 2026 and didn’t add to his major title tally.

Scrock: That after several years of big names dominating major tournaments, we got three straight surprises after Rory’s return to Augusta. If we go into the PGA, eight of the last nine majors have been won by Rory, Scottie, Bryson or Xander. The only real sellers we’ve had since 2021 have been JJ Spaun and Brian Harman. Then we got three consecutive winners with Aaron Rai, Ryan Fox and Wyndham Clark, who finally won his second US Open after being in the wilderness and thought he was lost. What I’ll be thinking about going forward is how fast we go from “Can Rory win at Augusta?” to “How many blue jackets will win?” What big names are finally coming out of schneid in 2027? Collin Morikawa held two majors for five years, Jon Rahm for three, Justin Thomas for four. Xander and Bryson have now been out of school for two years and are both two. Jordan Spieth is nine years in a row. Who in the non-Rory/Scottie superstar category does he add to his resume next year, if any?

Senses: That good drama comes from things that are not directly related to the competitions themselves. Rory wants a repeat. Harassment of Clark’s followers. Bryson’s penalty histrionics. When it came to the action itself, only the Open Championship had an amazing final hole.

Which means the most memorable moment was?

How: Garrick Higgo’s late arrival, finesse and definition in the PGA Championship are up there, as is the way the fans treated Clark at Shinnecock Hills, but beyond Rory’s second green jacket, in 10 years we will still remember Bryson’s oddity on Friday night at Royal Birkdale.

Scrock: I think Bryson’s fine and the incident that happened, from taking the officials back to the scene to threatening to withdraw is reportedly asking to call Trump to try to get the fine; it was a crazy moment that will be what the 2026 Open is remembered for. He’s talking about Honorable Scottie who finished second at Augusta and then blew up the course due to uneven conditions in the first two rounds and Haotong Li’s final round 80 where he spent 30 minutes in the woods on No. 13.

Sens: Bryson’s penalty saga for sure. My barometer of great moments in golf is when friends who don’t follow the game start texting me to share stories. The upheaval in that decision was one moment this year that nearly blew up my phone.

Who are you buying big stocks for 2027?

How: Sam Burns went 54-hole at the Masters, finished a shot behind Clark at the US Open and became the 54-hole leader at the Open Championship. You are near. But most of all, I love the way he handles these situations. Sometimes you need to direct a few close calls before you can actually go in.

Scrock: Cam Young dominated Sunday at the Masters and then capped a bumpy Sunday to nearly steal the Open at Royal Birkdale. He took the shoulder in the last calendar year. He won at Wyndham, held the Players and rolled on the field at Doral. The best is yet to come.

Senses: Good calls above but I’ll go with Scheffler. Not that I was ever short of his stock in the first place. But more reason than ever now is shopping. It’s hard to imagine him wearing it again next year.

What was LIV’s most troubling news of the past week: the exit of the Asian Tour as a feeder program, or the reported doubt that the league’s end-of-season team event in Michigan will take place? What are your thoughts on LIV’s recent developments and does it change your view of LIV’s future?

How: It is difficult to keep track of all the new reports and news and rumors on LIV tournaments, the future and who is putting that against it. Put it all together, and this doesn’t look too good. Although things in Michigan are not good, they are not illegal. Losing the Asian Tour as a way for its players is really painful. Did you see how quick Rory McIlroy was to endorse this move after it was announced? That was no accident. That said, funding drying up this year doesn’t mean other investors won’t step in to save for years to come. But now everything is starting to leak a little oil.

Scrock: Can I take both? If the Michigan event is canceled, that sounds like curtains for the league that has been trying to keep a fat lady off the stage for months. However, the Asian Tour reaching the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour could be a big deal considering that there are rumors that the LIV investors include 10 Asian Tour events and 10 LIV events. That is no longer an option, and without the Asian Tour as a feeder tour, the OWGR points LIV has fought so hard to earn may be in jeopardy even if LIV survives. Things aren’t going well at LIV HQ, and it sounds like we’re getting ready to give the league its last services after the Indianapolis event.

Senses: Both. Stick a fork in it. The league is in pretty good zombie mode right now. Death in the most sensible ways.