Jackson Koivun shot a 61 on Saturday at TPC Twin Cities, putting him three shots clear of the field and six ahead of world number one Scottie Scheffler heading into the final round of the 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota.
The round included six birdies and two eagles, and Koivun did not make a single bogey. It was, according to Yahoo Sports, one of the standout rounds of the tournament.
Scheffler was hardly struggling himself. The world number one posted a 64, aided by a 29 on his back nine. Even so, he enters Sunday six shots back, needing something close to a perfect round to catch Koivun.
After his round, Koivun was asked about seeing Scheffler's name just below his on the leaderboard. "He's obviously the best in the world for a reason," Koivun said. "I'm sure he's going to go up there and put a good number and get in contention."
At 21 years old, Sunday will mark just the 13th PGA Tour start of Koivun's career. A win would be his first on tour. The gap between him and Scheffler is significant, but the circumstances are not ordinary. Scheffler has 20 PGA Tour titles and is chasing his 21st. Koivun has none. That dynamic will be central to how the final round unfolds.
Analysts have suggested Scheffler would likely need to shoot 63 or better to have a realistic chance of winning. That is not out of the question for a player of his caliber, but it would require Koivun to falter as well. A six-shot lead with 18 holes remaining is a substantial cushion, even against the best player in the world.
Koivun holds a clear advantage on the leaderboard, but Sunday will test how the young golfer handles the weight of the moment. Playing alongside or near Scheffler in the final round is a different kind of pressure than anything he has likely faced in 12 previous Tour starts.
The final round at TPC Twin Cities is scheduled for Sunday.
