Jackson Koivun will make his debut as a PGA Tour member at this week's John Deere Classic, but Jack Nicklaus believes the rookie's biggest challenge won't be talent. Instead, the 18-time major winner urged him not to rush the natural progression of the game.

On the back of a successful college career, Koivun will step into the professional ranks aiming to make an immediate impact. However, Nicklaus believes patience could be just as important as talent during the next stage of his journey.

"The first thing you do is the same thing you're doing right now is you go win," Nicklaus said in a video shared by the PGA Tour on X.

"That's how you get to where you're going. Don't jump over the progression. You may be ready, but a little seasoning won't hurt you."

Koivun will look to implement the 18-time major winner’s advice on the big stage, where the pressure is far greater than in college golf, though he has already acknowledged the importance of developing the mental side of his game.

"The main thing I drew from the guys out here is just how strong and stable they are mentally," Koivun explained. "They beat you with their heads, and I've just tried to adapt that to my game. It's different than college, but it's a lot of fun."

At TPC Deere Run, the 21-year-old will tee it up as a PGA Tour member for the first time. Last year, he competed at the John Deere Classic as an amateur and secured a T11 finish.

This time around, all eyes will be on him in his debut. Some are even backing the rookie to go all the way, as he is coming off an impressive T23 at the U.S. Open.

The excitement surrounding Koivun's debut stems largely from what he accomplished during an extraordinary amateur career, highlighted by his SEC Championship triumph and other major achievements.

Why Nicklaus' seasoning advice matters: Koivun's record-breaking amateur path

The Auburn golfer is being deemed the “next big thing” in the sport, and there are plenty of reasons why.

In 2024, Koivun captured the SEC Championship, finished second at the NCAA Division I Men's Individual Championship, and became the first player to claim the Haskins, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Phil Mickelson awards in the same season.

In June 2025, Koivun reached the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, as reported by WAGR. This year, he got his hands on his second Ben Hogan Award and became just the third men's golfer to do so.

A lot is being expected from the 21-year-old, and he’ll look to keep Nicklaus’ advice in mind.

What are your thoughts on Jack Nicklaus’ advice? Share them in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav