Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Jackson Koivun’s 3M Open win, review the major season and look at the latest bad news for LIV Golf.
Jackson Koivun outlasted a handful of major champions — including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler — to win the 3M Open on Sunday in Minnesota in what was the rising star’s 13th career start. What did you think of Koivun’s maiden victory on the PGA Tour, and are you surprised he held off Scheffler?
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): It was extremely impressive, and then he also made it somewhat relatable with a clunky par down the stretch. Still, we can call that a good par. He made the big putts when he needed to and rarely showed emotion until his winning putt dropped in on 18. It was cool to see his reaction after. I would not have been surprised if he dropped a shot or two down the stretch to let Scheffler in, but he hit fairways and greens and lag-putted well and played like someone who knew exactly how to close out a tournament.
Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@Schrock_And_Awe): The poise was what impressed me. Even with a sizable lead entering Sunday, I expected Koivun to look his age at some point, especially with Scheffler rising up behind him. But he never faltered, never gave anyone in the field an opening and cruised to the first of what I assume will be many wins. Am I surprised he held off Scheffler? Because of the gap he had to start the day, no, but I am surprised it was never in doubt on Sunday.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): I was struck by how unflinching he was. This was not a young player just trying to hang out for the win. A birdie right out of the gate and no let-up from there. There are tons of precocious talents in golf, of course. But not all of them show such veteran poise.
A surprise Scheffler start at the 3M Open led to soaring ticket sales and was the Minnesota event’s biggest draw in its young history. However, when the Tour introduces its new two-track system in 2028, players on the Championship Series will not be able to drop down and play events on the Challenger Series. While it’s unclear what track the 3M Open will land on in two years, this sort of star-player splash we saw this week might be a thing of the past. Is that a disservice to tournaments and communities? Or simply the price of doing business with the Tour’s new structure?
Berhow: It can be both. As the Minnesota resident who covers this tournament every year — I bought a great mug from the merch tent this time — I’ve never seen crowds like this. Usually attendance is solid, but one group has rarely drawn the entire course as Scottie did from Thursday to Sunday. It was fun to see. But the Tour schedule was also due for a makeover, and I understand why this rule had to be put in place. It seems too difficult to allow one-off starts here or there for certain guys and could get messy.
Schrock: The answer is both. We saw talk of this at the John Deere as well about former champions not being able to play and those who win a Track 2 event being unable to defend their title the following year. It sucks for good golf communities like Minnesota and the Quad Cities that they won’t get to see stars like Scottie or Jordan Spieth, but the Tour couldn’t keep going the way that it was. It needed a facelift to make the schedule and stakes easier to understand so that everything leads to somewhere and we don’t just have 40 one-off events that head to a confusing postseason.
Sens: No doubt that the schedule had to change. The question is whether these changes actually solve the root problem, which is that there are only so many golfers people really want to watch. Without big names in the field and the eyeballs they draw, how much longer will the lower-wattage event survive? Are we just postponing the inevitable when the schedule has to be pared down even further?
Now that you’ve had a few days to digest the 2026 men’s major season, let’s reflect. What was your biggest takeaway from the four majors?
Berhow: That it was … a weird year? Stars like Rory and Scottie and Bryson and Xander and Brooks were winners the previous three years, but this year Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai snuck in as surprises. And then there’s Wyndham Clark, who had won a major before, but let’s be honest — how crazy is it that the guy who busted up lockers at a U.S. Open won that same tournament one year later? Oh, and that even as an American, he was heckled by American fans the entire final round? Another takeaway: With two Masters wins already and playing with house money, Rory could be a legit threat at Augusta for another decade. And lastly, this is more of a fun fact I found amusing, but Scottie has finished outside the top 10 at a major just twice in the last three years. It’s so hard to win these; I’d like to say, of course, he gets one next year, but he still played very good major golf in 2026 and didn’t add to his major-title tally.
Schrock: That after several years of big names dominating the big tournaments, we got three straight surprises after Rory repeating at Augusta. Heading into the PGA, eight of the last nine majors had been won by either Rory, Scottie, Bryson or Xander. The only real outliers we’ve had since 2021 have been J.J. Spaun and Brian Harman. Then we got three straight outlier winners with Aaron Rai, Ryan Fox and Wyndham Clark, the latter winning his second U.S. Open after being in the wilderness and presumed lost. What I’ll think about going forward outside of how fast we’ve gone from “Can Rory win at Augusta?” to “How many green jackets will he win?” is which of the big names finally gets off the schneid in 2027? Collin Morikawa has been stuck on two majors for five years, Jon Rahm for three, Justin Thomas for four. Xander and Bryson have now gone two years without majors and are both still at two. Jordan Spieth has been on three for nine years. Who in the non-Rory/Scottie star division adds to their resume next year, if anyone?
Sens: That a good deal of the drama came from factors not directly related to the competitions themselves. Rory seeking a repeat. Fan abuse of Clark. Bryson’s penalty histrionics. When it came down to the action itself, only the Open Championship had a truly dramatic final hole.
Which means the most memorable major moment was?
Berhow: Garrick Higgo’s late tee time arrival, penalty and explanation at the PGA Championship is up there, and so was how the fans treated Clark at Shinnecock Hills, but beyond Rory’s second green jacket, in 10 years what we’ll still probably remember is Bryson’s bizarre Friday night at Royal Birkdale.
Schrock: I think it’s Bryson’s penalty and the scene that unfolded, from him taking the officials back out to the scene to threatening to withdraw to reportedly asking to call Trump to try and get the penalty removed; it was an insane moment that will be what the 2026 Open is remembered for. Honorable mentions to Scottie finishing second at Augusta and then semi-detonating the course for not having equal conditions in the first two rounds and Haotong Li’s final-round 80 where he spent 30 minutes in the bushes at No. 13.
Sens: Bryson’s penalty saga for sure. My barometer for big moments in golf is when friends who don’t follow the game start texting me to chat about the news. The hubbub around that ruling was the one moment this year that nearly blew up my phone.
Whose major stock are you buying for 2027?
Berhow: Sam Burns was one stroke off the 54-hole lead at the Masters, finished a shot behind Clark at the U.S. Open and was the 54-hole leader at the Open Championship. He’s close. But more than anything, I like the way he’s handled himself in these situations. Sometimes you need to maneuver a few close calls before you can really cash in.
Schrock: Cam Young held the lead on Sunday at the Masters and then put together a blistering Sunday to almost steal the Open at Royal Birkdale. He has taken a leap over the last calendar year. He won at Wyndham, nabbed a Players and rolled over the field at Doral. The major(s) are coming.
Sens: Good calls above but I’ll go with Scheffler. Not that I was ever shorting his stock to begin with. But more reason than ever now to buy. Hard to imagine him getting blanked again next year.
What’s the most troubling LIV news from the past week: the Asian Tour’s exit as a feeder program, or the reported skepticism that the league’s season-ending team event in Michigan will even happen? What are your thoughts on the latest LIV developments and does it change your outlook on LIV’s future?
Berhow: It’s difficult to keep track of all the new reports and stories and rumors on LIV’s tournaments, future and who is filing what against them. Add it all up, and this doesn’t look very good. While the Michigan stuff isn’t great, it’s not official. Losing the Asian Tour as a pathway for its players really hurts. Did you notice how quickly Rory McIlroy endorsed the move after it was announced? That was not by accident. That said, funding going dry this year doesn’t mean some investors won’t swoop in to save future years. But right now the whole thing is starting to leak a little oil.
Schrock: Can I take both? If the Michigan event gets canceled, that feels like curtains for a league that has been trying to keep the fat lady from heading on stage for months. However, the Asian Tour saddling up to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour might be a bigger deal given that it was rumored that LIV’s pitch to investors involved 10 Asian Tour events and 10 LIV events. That’s no longer an option, and without the Asian Tour as a feeder tour, the OWGR points that LIV fought so hard to get might be in danger even if LIV survives. Things aren’t good at LIV HQ, and it feels like we’re preparing to give the league its last rites after the Indianapolis event.
Sens: Both. Put a fork in it. The league is pretty much in zombie mode right now. Dead in most meaningful ways.
