(VIDEO) Who Will Win the 2026 3M Open? Rookie Jackson Koivun Leads Into Sunday's Final Round

BLAINE, Minn. — A 21-year-old who turned professional barely a month ago is on the verge of one of the more improbable breakthrough wins of the PGA Tour season, holding a three-shot lead entering the final round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.

Jackson Koivun, playing in just his 13th career PGA Tour start and third as a professional, fired a bogey-free 10-under 61 in Saturday's third round, highlighted by a tournament-record back-nine 28 that included two eagles. The performance vaulted him to 20 under par through 54 holes, tying the 3M Open's 54-hole scoring record of 193 set by wire-to-wire 2023 champion Lee Hodges.

Koivun's meteoric rise

Koivun enters Sunday having already established himself as one of the most decorated amateurs in recent college golf history. At Auburn, he became the first player ever to win college golf's three most prestigious individual honors — the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Fred Haskins Award — in back-to-back years, cementing his reputation before he ever teed it up as a pro. He turned professional last month, forgoing his senior season, and earned his PGA Tour card through PGA Tour University Accelerated.

Despite the lack of professional experience, Koivun has shown no signs of nerves under pressure. Describing his mindset after Saturday's record-setting round, he kept things simple. "It felt great. It's what you work for," Koivun said, acknowledging he felt some nerves but leaned on his experience competing in high-stakes moments during his college career at Auburn.

Who's chasing him

Koivun doesn't have the final round to himself. Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles are tied for second at 17 under after each carding bogey-free 65s on Saturday. Grillo, a two-time PGA Tour winner, brings experience at TPC Twin Cities specifically, having posted three previous top-10 finishes at the 3M Open. He capped his third round with an eagle on the 18th hole, giving him momentum heading into Sunday even after several missed putting opportunities earlier in the round.

Kohles, meanwhile, is chasing his first career PGA Tour title in his 122nd start. The five-time Korn Ferry Tour winner opened the tournament with a first-round 62 to take the early lead and has remained near the top of the leaderboard throughout the week. He has said he plans to attack the course aggressively from the start of Sunday's round, aiming to apply pressure on Koivun early rather than playing a more conservative, wait-and-see approach.

Michael Brennan and Chandler Phillips share fourth place at 16 under, while a trio of Denny McCarthy, Billy Horschel and Michael Kim sit in a tie for sixth at 15 under. Kim, notably, produced one of the week's signature moments on Friday, carding a 12-under 59 to become just the 15th player in PGA Tour history to break 60 in a round. He cooled off with a 70 on Saturday, dropping him five shots off the lead, but remains within striking distance heading into the final 18 holes.

Scheffler still lurks, six back

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler entered the week as the tournament's biggest draw, marking his first-ever appearance at the 3M Open. Scheffler struggled with his putter through the opening two rounds before catching fire late in Saturday's third round, closing with five birdies and an eagle on the back nine for a 7-under 64. That surge moved him into a four-way tie for ninth place at 14 under, alongside Davis Thompson, Seamus Power and Brian Harman — six shots behind Koivun with 18 holes to play.

While six shots is a significant gap, Scheffler's track record of low final rounds and his status as the sport's most dominant current player mean he can't be ruled out entirely, particularly on a course at TPC Twin Cities that has historically rewarded aggressive, birdie-heavy scoring.

A course built for low scores

This year's 3M Open has reinforced the tournament's reputation as one of the lowest-scoring stops on the PGA Tour calendar. Between Kim's 59 on Friday and Koivun's record-setting 61 on Saturday, the week has already produced two of the most memorable individual rounds of the 2026 season. Grillo pointed to the strength of the young players chasing the title as a defining storyline of the week, noting how difficult it has become to keep pace with the tour's rising talent, a reflection of how competitive the leaderboard has remained even as scores have plummeted.

What's at stake Sunday

The tournament carries an $8.8 million purse, with the winner set to collect $1.584 million. Defending champion Kurt Kitayama, who won last year's edition with a final-round 65 to hold off Sam Stevens, is also in the field looking for his first win of the 2026 season.

Sunday's final round tees off with Koivun and Grillo in the last pairing at 1:40 p.m. ET, with coverage beginning on Golf Channel at 1 p.m. before shifting to CBS at 3 p.m. If Koivun holds his three-shot advantage, he would become one of the fastest players in recent memory to capture a PGA Tour title, doing so in just his third start as a professional. But with Grillo, Kohles and a hard-charging Scheffler all lurking on a course built for low scores, Sunday's final round at TPC Twin Cities is shaping up as anything but a formality.