Q. We are pleased to be joined by Jackson Koivun, already in the red, white, and blue, representing the United States. Jackson, congratulations. This has been a phenomenal year for you. What does being on Brandt's United States team mean to you?
JACKSON KOIVUN: It means the world. This has been a tournament I grew up watching. I love team play. I love playing for the United States of America. I'm just happy he took a chance on me, and I'm going to give it my all.
Q. Brandt, this is going to be a name a lot of people are going to be talking about. You selected Jackson Koivun, 21 years of age. Why did you select him to be part of your team?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: I think we took a long hard look at all of these guys who are close, but Jackson, what he did at 3M, what he did in his amateur career, what he brings to the table, I think is something we wanted to take a hard look at, and we'll be going with him.
I'm so impressed by this young man. I think he brings a lot to our team room. He brings a lot to us in terms of pairings. I know what this guy is capable of. I know what he's going to bring to us, and I'm excited to show him to the world.
Q. Youngest player to be part of the United States team since Jordan Spieth back in 2015. Jackson, you may not have a lot of professional experience, but you do have a lot of recent match play experience, the NCAAs at Auburn, the Walker Cup as well. How do you feel like you are in regards to being a match play performer?
JACKSON KOIVUN: Match play is one of my favorite formats. It's so exciting playing on a team, playing for guys you can call your brothers for the rest of your life.
Then you're just going one-on-one against another person and may the best man win. It's always been something that's exciting for me.
Q. Was that an influence in the fact that he is a strong match play performer and the fact that he's done it recently?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: I don't believe it's an influence. I think we look at the whole picture. There's not one thing you look at. You look at the whole picture of the player.
Fortunately and unfortunately for us, we had a ton of guys to sift through. At the end of the day, Jackson just felt he was the right pick for us at this time. Sometimes you've got to take your gut feeling, and this was my gut. I trust this kid to out there and play.
Q. Jackson, you've stepped up in big moments in your career both as an amateur and as a professional. Brandt will tell you, when you step on that 1st tee and you're playing for the red, white, and blue and the brotherhood of your teammates, there's a lot in there. What do you expect to go in that 1st tee?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I'm definitely going to feel some nerves, but I've always told myself nerves are a good thing because that means I care. I'm just really excited to step up at Medinah and go play some golf.
Q. You mentioned the total package that he is, sure, we see it with his performance. He seems like a very complete player. Mentally from a maturation perspective, what are you seeing from this 21-year-old?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: You don't do what he's done in five starts on the PGA TOUR this year if you're not ready to be out here and be competing.
He's mature beyond his years. We did a ton of research through college coaches, through his amateur people, through talking to people and understanding who he is as a person.
As great as the player Jackson is, I think he's a better person than he is a player. Those are the kind of guys you want to stack your team room with.
Q. Jackson, I want you to describe in detail what the moment was like getting the phone call from Captain Brandt Snedeker that you're going to be wearing the red, white, and blue at the Presidents Cup.
JACKSON KOIVUN: It still feels like a pinch-me moment, I'm not going to lie. When he called me and told me I was going to Medinah, I was about shellshocked for four hours, and then it kind of started to settle in.
It was truly exciting, and it was just a very big wow moment for me because the fact that he has that trust in me and the vice captains and the other guys on the team trust and want me to be on that team, it's a great feeling.
Q. When you hung the phone up, who's the first person you called or told?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I called my mom. I told her, and she was just as shocked as I was.
Q. What was that phone call like for you?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: I would say he was in shock when I talked to him. I was expecting a little more energy out of him when I gave him that call. It was great. Those moments are super special.
Those moments you have with those guys when you realize you're making a decision that's going to impact their career for the rest of their lives and showing them that you believe in them.
Cherish those moments. It's something I'll have for the rest of my career, something he'll have for the rest of his career. Just excited to go out and get the USA colors and show the world what he's made of.
Q. I want to go back to earlier this season you made a trip to Dublin, Ohio, at the Memorial, and you were checking out this young man and the game he has and he played alongside. What do you remember about that moment? What were the impressions he gave you on the golf course?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: It's nothing I hadn't expected. I've heard a lot about Jackson. I played with him several times, obviously, but his totality of his game is very impressive.
He's a guy without any holes in his game. That's very rare for a kid his age. We all have holes in our games.
I still have massive holes in my game at my age. To see a kid his age not have any holes, it's really impressive. You just delve through his career and see what he's done, this seems like a natural progression. Now he's just got to go out there and prove it, which I have no doubt in my mind, he'll do.
Q. Jackson, you haven't snuck up on anybody. I'm sure you've interacted with a lot of players on the PGA TOUR, a lot of big-time players. What are you anticipating it's going to be like in the team room, the camaraderie that you're going to build amongst your U.S. teammates?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I'm just excited for it. You get into a team room with the best players in the world, and you get to hang out with them, talk with them, become friends with them. I think that's what I'm excited and looking forward to.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports