Malbon Believes Jackson Koivun Deserves Presidents Cup Bid

Jackson Koivun earned a win in just his third pro start. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Count Stephen Malbon among those who believe Jackson Koivun should be on the United States Presidents Cup team later this year. 

Yes, Malbon has a vested interest in Koivun’s success after signing him to an apparel partnership when Koivun turned pro. But Malbon also recognizes his unique skill set, which led to one of the greatest college careers in history, including an incredible match-play record in college and on the international stage.

“Absolutely he should be,” Malbon said when asked if Koivun should be on the Presidents Cup team. “The brighter the lights, the more he shines. He really established himself as a leader on the [2025] Walker Cup team. The kid likes to win. He lives for those moments.”

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Koivun, 21, proved that by winning the 3M Open this past weekend over World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in just his third career start as a professional. Scheffler made six birdies in his first 12 holes and had the crowd cheering wildly for a comeback win. Koivun responded by draining a 15-foot par putt that retained his three-shot lead heading into the back nine. He went three under coming home, shooting a bogey-free 66 to beat Scheffler by three shots. 

That was similar to Koivun’s performance in last year’s Walker Cup, when he went out in the first match of Sunday singles and won 3 & 2. He went 3-1 overall that week in the United States' dominant win over Great Britain & Ireland.

Koivun also led Auburn to back-to-back national championships and went 13-4-1 in match play in his Auburn career. The accolades beyond that include the lowest single-season scoring average in college golf history (68.2) and being the first player to win all three national player of the year awards twice. He is the top-ranked amateur in the Data Golf rankings over the last 15 years. 

Of course, all that success doesn’t guarantee Koivun a spot on the Presidents Cup. Far from it. The top 6 in the standings get automatic invites. Koivun is currently ranked 56. He could be one of the six captain's picks by Brandt Snedeker, but there’s plenty of competition from other highly decorated professionals outside the top 6, including Wyndham Clark, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele. 

The argument to bring him is simple: this provides Koivun with valuable experience for future international competitions, including the Ryder Cup. We saw Europe captain Luke Donald give Ludvig Åberg a captain's pick when he was still developing in 2023. It proved prophetic as Aberg has now played a big role in two Ryder Cup wins. 

The difference is the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup are run by two different organizations, the PGA Tour and PGA of America, respectively. One isn’t there to benefit the other. However, giving someone like Koivun an opportunity in the Presidents Cup could be a perfect warm-up for the Ryder Cup in 2027. 

This is all good news for Malbon. They signed Koivun to be the long-term face of their brand. They have Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Freddie Couples and Charlie Hull among the professional players representing Malbon, but Koivun represents a new chapter.  

“This is a really big deal for us,” Malbon said. “Jackson’s the future. He’s trained his whole life for these moments and he’s proving he’s ready for it.”

Koivun will play in this week’s Rocket Classic. He’s currently on the bubble to play in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He won’t earn an automatic bid to play in the Presidents Cup, but he will have more tournaments to showcase his immense skill. Whether that’s enough to earn a spot on the Presidents Cup team remains to be seen. But there are plenty of people who believe he deserves it. 

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