THE MODERATOR: We're joined this morning by Jackson Koivun here at the 2024 The Memorial Tournament Presented By Workday. Jackson, you're the Jack Nicklaus Award winner. We saw you in here yesterday with the other awardees, and meeting Mr. Nicklaus and receiving your award. What was that experience like for you?
JACKSON KOIVUN: It was awesome. Mr. Nicklaus gave us a lot of great information and advice. Being listed on that trophy with those names and being able to play in this tournament is just very nice, and I couldn't be happier.
THE MODERATOR: So you were just telling me you had a chance to see the golf course yesterday. How many holes did you get in and what did you notice about the course that sort of surprised you maybe?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I heard the rough was very thick and I definitely got a taste of that yesterday. I played 13 holes and we ran into the maintenance crew right around 6 o'clock, so I walked a couple and then walked in. Plan to go play nine today and see a little more of the back nine and get a little better taste of the golf course. It's all really good. The greens and fairways are unbelievable. It's definitely a good test.
THE MODERATOR: You're coming off your freshman year at Auburn, having won a national championship with your team, which we witnessed last week. Now that you've won all the major awards in college golf in your first year, what's left for you to do now?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I think my next goal is to try to win Nationals individually. I think that would kind of cap it off as a really good year. I gave it a good run this year, but came up a little short. Just try to keep progressing mentally and physically and seeing the progression in my game, hopefully getting into a couple more TOUR events and trying to make some cuts.
THE MODERATOR: Okay, we'll take some questions.
Q. Have you had a chance to meet many of the pros this week or talk to them and get any advice or just pick certain guys brains that you wanted to meet?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I've met a couple guys. We joined up with Ludvig yesterday and he was really nice to me. We talked a little bit. We just kind of played our six holes together and went our separate ways, but he was nothing but kind. We saw a couple guys here and there, introduced myself, but haven't asked too many questions yet.
Q. As someone who is seen all Ludvig translate straight from college and play well, Nick jumping in winning while still in college, what has that done for you as you get into college, maybe increasing confidence that when you do come out here it's not just ceremonial, that you feel like you can compete with 'em?
JACKSON KOIVUN: Yeah, definitely. I think college guys can definitely compete if they're on their games. I think professionals are very good at being a lot more consistent than college players. I played a little bit against Dunlap and I never got to play against Ludvig in college golf, but I know Dunlap, he's a great player and a great person. I know I can compete with him and hopefully I can compete with these guys this week.
Q. Wondering, I'm sure you've grown up watching this tournament on TV. Is there anything that now that you're on-site and see it in person has anything stood out, has anything surprised you?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I would just say the tee shots are a little tighter in person than they look on TV. The bunkers and the rough definitely cut in a little more. There's a lot more slope on the greens than the TV shows.
Q. I'm sure you've had a milkshake and take me through what flavor milkshake do you get?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I've had two. I had two yesterday. I had a cookies and cream and a Buckeye. They were both tied one. I think they're equally good. They were unbelievable.
Q. At what point -- you had strong results freshman year, when did you feel like you settled into the college season?
JACKSON KOIVUN: Probably after the first couple events. I was still settling in as a student, more or less golf kind of came with school to begin with, you know, getting used to being away from home and all that stuff. I would say probably after the third or fourth event I kind of really settled in. I had a couple good results right off the bat, but it was still about getting comfortable with my situation.
Q. How did you learn about winning the award and getting this exemption? Could you take me through that moment when you realized you were going to be able to play this event?
JACKSON KOIVUN: We were walking back after we had just won the national championship, on the 17th green, and we were walking back to the award ceremony and coach pulled me aside and told me I'm playing this week and I need to start getting everything in order. It was kind of just hit me like a train, because all these emotions from the national championship and then I'm playing this event, which is such a great event and trying to figure out traveling and all that stuff with U.S. Open sectionals, there was an array of emotions, but all good things.
Q. Reactions from teammates, what did they think?
JACKSON KOIVUN: They were just excited for me, which is obviously great. They told me to drink a lot of milkshakes (laughing).
Q. How many -- are any -- seems like some family is here. Kind of take me through who might show up to support you this week.
JACKSON KOIVUN: I'm not sure. I've had a couple people that I haven't seen in a while reach out to me and stuff like that. Obviously my parents are here, which I'm very thankful for. I'm not sure who else will show up. We'll see.
Q. I think Auburn has turned into a sneaky powerhouse for some folks this year. Wondering about your choice to go there what kind of factored into it and why was it the right place for you?
JACKSON KOIVUN: They're definitely a powerhouse. I think we'll be good for the next couple years. I think that was partially why I wanted to go there. I knew we had a lot of power and depth when I was joining the team. I think that that scares off some recruits sometimes, but I kind of threw myself into that and those qualifiers were tough. Obviously Coach Clinard and Coach Williams are great. Couldn't ask for better coaches. Auburn University is just, it's just feels like home to me.
Q. Your thoughts on the first year back there for the championships at La Costa, what did you think of the course?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I thought it was a really good test. The course was great. They did a really good job with the redo. I think it needed some time to grow in still. I think next year it will be really, really good. The greens were still really firm. There was a couple bare spots there, but other than that it tested every part of your game. You couldn't really slack in any aspect and play well there. So I thought it was really good.
THE MODERATOR: If someone hadn't seen you play how would you describe your own game, what are your strengths and maybe something that you perhaps need to work on a little bit that challenges you?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I would say I'm probably not visually impressive. Like, I'm not killing the golf ball out there. I just kind of hit it out there. I try to hit it pretty straight. I would say that's probably one of my strengths is my accuracy off the tee. I don't hit it as far as some of these college guys do, but I definitely hit a lot of fairways. Then my putter is definitely my prized possession. I do make a lot of putts. I think that helps me score.
Q. You're playing with Brandt Snedeker first two days. Wondering if you had a chance to meet him yet, if you ever met him, and how much you're looking forward to playing with him.
JACKSON KOIVUN: I haven't met him yet. I -- obviously he's had a great career on the PGA TOUR. If I see him I'll go introduce myself and see how he's doing. I'm excited to play with him. I think he's a great playing partner for the next two days.
Q. How much are you telling yourself this week to stick to your routine, stick to your normal prep and not -- obviously understanding that this is a huge opportunity, but not letting that take away from how you prep for things.
JACKSON KOIVUN: Yeah, I'm a big believer in routine. I think having the same routine going into every tournament is huge. Trying not to treat this like what it is, as this great opportunity, but going in with that mentality that I can go compete in this, and if I just stick in my own mind space that I can definitely go out there and put up a good number.
THE MODERATOR: Did you play any other sports, like growing up, in high school, and what sort of, if you did or didn't, what sort of led you toward golf?
JACKSON KOIVUN: I played a lot of sports in middle school, and I kind of just stopped growing. I played football and basketball and that definitely helped me become more athletic towards golf, but I was always the best at golf, and come 8th grade I knew golf was the best road for me.
THE MODERATOR: How did you get introduced to golf? How did you start?
JACKSON KOIVUN: My dad plays, and he put some clubs in my hand what I was really young and I never let go.
Q. Wondering, you sweep the national awards as a freshman, win a national title, get to be here. I'm sure you imagined playing PGA TOUR events, you know, achieving all that you've done, but any time during this freshman year has surprised you how quick some of it's come?
JACKSON KOIVUN: Definitely. It's kind of came at me like a train. There's been a lot of stuff thrown my way and obviously getting this exemption into a tournament like this, I mean, it's an elevated event, the field's great, it has so much honor around the name of the Memorial, I mean, it's a great event to start out on TOUR with, and I just couldn't be happier.
THE MODERATOR: When you see Ludvig Åberg and what he's done in the last year, and he was a Nicklaus Award winner previously, what sort of inspiration does that give you going forward?
JACKSON KOIVUN: Yeah, Ludvig's a great player. He's done so much for not only professional golf but for college golf, kind of opening the eyes for patrons and the PGA TOUR of how good these collegiate guys are. And with PGA TOUR U now I think that's just going to keep growing opportunities for guys like me, and even younger, that there's going to be more opportunities coming through with that program because of guys like that. He kind of inspires me that shows that he's put his name on some of these awards that I've won and I can go do what he's doing and just compete like him.
THE MODERATOR: Good luck this week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports