Former Masters champ says Jackson Koivun 'shouldn't have' deferred his PGA Tour card

Former Masters winner Trevor Immelman gave his opinion on Jackson Koivun's decision to defer his PGA Tour card. The American amateur carried on his Walker Cup form and shone at the recently concluded Procore Championship, recording his second top-5 finish on the circuit this year.

Koivun has been having a good year, and earlier this season, his top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division I Championships guaranteed him a PGA Tour card. However, he decided to continue his journey as an amateur.

After his impressive game at the Procore Championship, which concluded on Sept. 14, Immelman shared a post praising the 20-year-old golfer. He wrote:

"Jackson Koivun is a stud, if I was him I'd turn pro immediately."

Golf analyst Cameron Jourdan reacted to the former Masters winner's post. He wrote:

"Since he deferred his Tour card, he can't until the end of his junior season unless he were to win"

In response, Immelman commented:

"I know, IMO he shouldn't have."

Speaking of his decision to defer the PGA Tour earlier in March, Koivun said (via Golf Digest):

"I will be returning. I think there's definitely some steps I need to take before I can come out here and compete with these guys week-in and week-out."

Before playing at the Procore Championship, Jackson Koivun shone at the Walker Cup, helping the U.S. team win the biennial tournament. He was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2024 and also won the Haskins Award last year. This season, he played in a couple of PGA Tour events as an amateur and continued to make waves on the internet.

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Jackson Koivun struggled in the final round of 2025 Procore Championship

Jackson Koivun was in contention to win the Procore Championship, but he struggled with his game in the final round. He was in second place after three rounds and started the final round on Sunday on the first tee.

He could, however, only make a single birdie on the front nine and had a tough time on the back nine. He carded two back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th, then added two birdies on the 15th and 16th for a round of 1-under. He slipped down to fourth place after the 72-hole game.

Koivun started pretty well, carding a first-round 67 followed by another round of 66. He played the third round of 68 but struggled on Sunday and missed out on the title by three strokes.

Scottie Scheffler shone in the final round of the Procore Championship and jumped two spots after playing a round of 67 to win the PGA Tour event. Ben Griffin, the third-round leader, settled in second place, followed by Lanto Griffin in third place.

Earlier this season, Jackson Koivun was tied for 11th at the John Deere Classic, T6 at the ISCO Championship, and T5 at the Wyndham Championship.

Edited by Anisha Chatterjee