Follow us on Google Discover
Jackson Koivun has heaped praise on Justin Thomas and explained how important it was to have the two-time major champion by his side at the Presidents Cup.
Koivun was the breakout star at Medinah. Of course, most golf fans were aware of the 21-year-old heading into the week, particularly following his maiden PGA Tour victory at the 3M Open earlier this year, but few will forget how he played the 18th hole in his singles match with Si-woo Kim.
Koivun actually ended the week as the only unbeaten player on either side, having won two and tied one of his three matches in Illinois. His first two matches saw him team up with Justin Thomas in the fourballs sessions.
Jackson Koivun lauds Justin Thomas after his Presidents Cup debut
Thomas stepped up on Thursday as Team USA earned a victory, but it was Koivun’s turn to carry the team on Saturday morning. That would have given him huge confidence heading into his match with Kim on Sunday.
Brandt Snedeker claimed that the team went ‘crazy’ when they found out Koivun would be facing Kim.
And speaking to Trey Wingo about the experience, Koivun outlined just how pleased he was to be playing alongside Thomas for his first two matches.
“Justin has been so good to me for the past couple of years, since I have gotten to know him. He made it really easy to be comfortable and be myself out there on the golf course,” he said.
“He picked me up when I was down or not playing well and we were able to come out on top in that first match and squeeze out a tie after some mistakes coming down the stretch in our second match.
“Justin is a great friend of mine and I will forever be thankful and remember the moments we had out there on the golf course.”
MORE PRESIDENTS CUP STORIES
Where do you rank Gary Player among the greatest golfers of all time
Player thinks he’s the third-greatest golfer of all time…
It was no great surprise when Koivun and Thomas were paired together given that they had known each other for some time. Thomas is also probably an ideal partner for a youngster making their debut appearance for Team USA.
Koivun went on to explain how their relationship began.
“We have the same agent in Lance Young. He put us together and asked if I had any questions about turning pro, golf courses, or just wanted a chat. He was always there for me, and I think that’s why we got along so well on the golf course,” he said.
“I think our games are pretty similar in a sense. We hit the same distances and we are kind of likeminded.”
It may surprise some to learn that Thomas was statistically the weakest player on Team USA across the week, with Data Golf showing that he lost more than five shots to the rest of the field.
The majority of that damage was done across his matches on Friday and Saturday, with Thomas winning neither.
Koivun ended the week by gaining a small amount on the rest of the players involved. But it is nearly impossible to measure how impactful those moments in his match with Si-woo Kim are likely to be for his career.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
Add to Preferred Sources