Jackson Koivun's Record 28 Seized the 3M Open Lead

The answer: Jackson Koivun took control of the 3M Open by shooting a tournament-record 28 on the back nine Saturday. Four birdies, two eagles and three pars turned a strong round into a 10-under 61, moved the 21-year-old to 20 under and created a three-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles. The final round remains unresolved.

The record was built in six scoring holes

Koivun reached the turn at 12 under after a two-under front nine. That was useful progress, not separation, on a Saturday when calm, hot conditions made TPC Twin Cities vulnerable. The tournament changed after the turn: birdies at Nos. 10 and 13, eagles at the par-5 12th and 18th, and birdies at Nos. 16 and 17. Pars at Nos. 11, 14 and 15 were the only pauses.

The sequence matters. Koivun made a 12-foot eagle putt on No. 12, then saw his lead disappear after two pars because the field was scoring around him. Instead of forcing the issue, he restarted the run at the short par-4 16th. His 300-yard drive finished 13 feet away, and although the eagle putt missed, the tap-in birdie restored momentum. A tee shot to seven feet at the par-3 17th produced another birdie.

The 18th required the round's boldest decision

Koivun arrived at the par-5 closing hole with a great score already secure. His second shot from 233 yards still had to carry water. He committed to the approach, found the green and made the 14-foot eagle putt. The three completed the 28, lowered his round to 61 and matched Lee Hodges' tournament 54-hole scoring record of 193.

This was not reckless aggression. The shot fit the situation: a good fairway lie, a reachable par 5 and a chance to create distance before Sunday. Koivun's official PGA TOUR analysis shows why the round traveled beyond hot putting. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach for the day and ranked first in Strokes Gained: Total, while also gaining enough on the greens to convert the chances.

The official post marked the record

A three-shot lead is real, but this course keeps it fragile

Koivun begins Sunday at 20 under. Grillo and Kohles are tied for second at 17 under, while Michael Brennan and Chandler Phillips sit four shots back. Michael Kim, whose Friday 59 established a course record, shot 70 and fell to 15 under. Scottie Scheffler's 64 moved the world No. 1 to 14 under, six behind—not seven, as an early recap suggested.

The leaderboard explains why Koivun cannot protect his lead with conservative golf alone. The first three days produced a 59, 61 and 62, and four players shot lower than Scheffler's seven-under round Saturday. TPC Twin Cities has water in play on 15 holes, so careless aggression can change the tournament quickly. But routine pars can also surrender ground just as fast.

Sunday tests the reset, not whether 28 can be repeated

Koivun described the final round as a test and said he planned to stay with his game plan and keep smiling. That sounds simple, but his circumstances are new. This is his first 54-hole PGA TOUR lead and only his third start as a full member. He earned status through PGA TOUR University Accelerated, returned to Auburn for the 2025-26 season and helped the Tigers win another national title before beginning his professional schedule.

College golf gave him team-pressure experience, but the final pairing on Sunday asks a different question: can he accept a normal opening stretch after producing an abnormal finish? Grillo plays alongside him, Kohles begins in the group immediately ahead, and the rest of a deep chase can post birdies before Koivun reaches the back nine.

Analysis: the useful target is position, not a number

Analysis: Koivun's best plan is neither “defend three” nor “shoot another 61.” The record nine came from repeatedly placing the ball where aggressive decisions were justified. Sunday calls for the same process: use approach play to produce chances, attack the reachable holes from good positions and refuse to let someone else's early run dictate a poor shot.

The 16th through 18th holes will remain decisive. Koivun played them four under Saturday, but they can create birdies for every contender. Entering that stretch with the lead would preserve his ability to choose when to attack. Entering it tied would turn the same shots into much sharper decisions.

The record is complete; the result is not

Koivun's 28 is already the lowest back nine in 3M Open history, and the 61 is his professional best. It showed that a new TOUR member can separate from a field containing Scheffler and several experienced winners. It did not award a trophy. The final group tees off at 12:40 p.m. CT, with Golf Channel coverage beginning at noon CT before CBS takes over at 2 p.m. CT.

Saturday's answer was explosive: two eagles and four birdies in nine holes. Sunday's answer may look quieter. If Koivun keeps creating the correct chances and absorbs the inevitable momentum changes, the record nine can become the round that set up his first PGA TOUR victory. Until the last putt falls, that remains a possibility—not a result.