Justin Thomas Praises Presidents Cup Rookie Jackson Koivun's Composure
Veteran golfer Justin Thomas described rookie Jackson Koivun's demeanor on the first tee as 'blacking out' before the young American impressed at the Presidents Cup.
Rookie Jackson Koivun made a notable debut at the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah, earning praise from teammate Justin Thomas for his performance and composure under pressure.
Thomas, a four-time Presidents Cup participant, was paired with the 21-year-old Koivun for the opening day's four-ball matches. Thomas observed that Koivun appeared to "blacked out" before his opening tee shot, a moment he described as unforgettable.
"It just was really cool to kind of just watch him do his thing," Thomas said. "I'll never in my life forget the smile he had on his face when he put the tee in the ground on Thursday morning and he was about to hit. I think he kind of blacked out and went to pick up the tee, didn't pick up the tee."
Koivun and Thomas secured a 4&3 victory over the International pairing of Nico Echavarria and Corey Conners. Despite being benched for Friday's foursomes, Koivun was paired with Thomas again for Saturday's four-ball matches, where they halved their match after holding a lead late.
On Sunday, Koivun faced veteran Si Woo Kim in a singles match. After falling two down through 10 holes, Koivun rallied to win 2-up, concluding his debut with a 2-0-1 record. This performance, especially considering Koivun had been playing college golf earlier in the year, was considered a significant takeaway for the U.S. team.