Jackson Koivun wins the 3M Open in his 3rd pro start, holding off Scottie Scheffler by 3 strokes

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Jackson Koivun felt the nerves but never flinched, securing his first PGA Tour win in the face of a strong finish by the world's top-ranked player and clear fan favorite in Scottie Scheffler.

Koivun won the 3M Open by three strokes Sunday in only his third start as a professional, holding off Scheffler with a closing 5-under 66 for a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.

“All throughout the crowd I kept hearing, ‘Scottie’s coming. Scottie’s coming,’” the 21-year-old Koivun said. “I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could.”

Scheffler, who played five groups ahead of Koivun, surged into contention with a 63 but settled for his fifth runner-up finish this season. His lone win this year was in his first start at The American Express in California.

“We’re seeing a lot of really, really good young talent in the game today,” Scheffler said. “When you see the guys come out of college, they’re really, really prepared, even more prepared than we were coming out.”

Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillips and Denny McCarthy tied for third at 20 under.

Koivun played a safe and steady game on a 97-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities, going bogey-free for the second straight day after a 61 in the third round gave him a three-shot cushion after 54 holes. His par-saving putt on the 9th green after his approach landed in the sand gave him an energy boost for the back nine.

“Might be the biggest putt I made all week,” Koivun said. “Scoreboard was right there, and I saw exactly how I stood. If I missed that, then I only had a two-shot lead — where last time I checked I had a five-shot lead. So making that was huge for my momentum.”

Lee Hodges held the previous 3M Open record, finishing at 24-under 260 in 2023.

Koivun, who became the fourth rookie winner this season, missed the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tied for 10th at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlier this month. He made 10 starts as an amateur on tour events.

Earning $1,584,000 for his win in Minnesota, Koivun also jumped 124 spots in the FedEx Cup standings into 70th, the last place above the cut for the playoffs with two regular season events remaining on the schedule.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better over the past couple years of being able to beat guys with my mentality,” said Koivun, who broke the NCAA career record for per-round stroke average (68.89) and helped lead Auburn to the national championship last month. “Sometimes I watch guys hit on the range and I don’t feel like I’m the most talented out there, but if I can go out there and believe and use my brain to my advantage, then that’s definitely kind of like a superpower.”

Scheffler, who began the final round six shots back, needed a collapse by Koivun to catch up. That never came.

Scheffler played a nearly flawless game, save for a 5-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole that lipped in and out. As he was conducting his post-match interview, Koivun birdied the 16th to go 25 under.

“Anytime you’re trying to win for the first time, it’s awfully difficult, especially for a young guy coming out of college,” Scheffler said. “I think that shows not only how talented of a player he is, but the mental strength he has as well.”

Koivun, who grew up in San Jose, California, before moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at age 17, got his start in the game on a public nine-hole course. After hugging his father, George, on the course, he got on a FaceTime call with his mother, Meghan, who was unable to attend the tournament.

“She was crying,” Koivu said. “I was trying to make out a little bit of what she said, but she kept saying how proud she was. Those two are just my rocks.”

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Jackson Koivun kisses his trophy after winning the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

Jackson Koivun hits on the ninth hole during the final round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

Scottie Scheffler walks on the ninth green during the final round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

Jackson Koivun reacts after winning the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

Jackson Koivun reacts after winning the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Part of a major interstate highway in Oregon was closed Monday due to a wildfire that forced a small town to evacuate, one of dozens of blazes burning across the state.

The Fox Fire forced the closure of Interstate 84 for some 70 miles (113 kilometers) between Baker City and Ontario near the Idaho state line before reopening later in the day, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. I-84 is a key thoroughfare, running from Portland in the west through the Columbia River Gorge and into eastern Oregon before crossing the Snake River eastward through Boise.

The transportation department said the wildfire remains active in the area and that intermittent closures were still possible.

Challenging wildfires have burned across the Western U.S. this summer, following months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds. Federal authorities announced Saturday that a fourth firefighter died of his injuries after he and several colleagues were overcome last month by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.

The Fox Fire was burning near the Oregon-Idaho state line about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of the small town of Huntington, which was under a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order, meaning its roughly 500 residents have been told to leave immediately.

Fueled by hot, dry and breezy conditions, the fire has scorched nearly 72 square miles (186 square kilometers) and was 0% contained as of Monday.

Huntington Mayor Chuck Guerri said the fire flared up early Monday morning near the east side of town, estimating it got within 250 feet (76 meters) of the nearest home before firefighters got a handle on that portion of the blaze. The smoke was so thick you could taste it, he said.

“We did send the alarm and went around knocking on doors on the east end of town to try to get people out of here, because it was coming in pretty quick,” he said. “But we had some good crews here, and they got it knocked down pretty quickly."

Officials are continuing to keep a close eye on the fire beyond other parts of the town, which is surrounded by grassy rangeland, he added. “We want to make sure that they can keep that contained out there and not turn into something else."

With aircraft potentially grounded due to limited visibility from the smoke, firefighters were building bulldozer lines around Huntington near a railroad that also runs through the area to protect critical infrastructure, authorities said.

Elsewhere in eastern Oregon, the state transportation department's website showed a rural stretch of U.S. Route 20 was also closed Monday due to wildfire for nearly 70 miles, between the small cities of Burns and Vale.

In central Oregon, the Akawa Butte Fire was deemed a top priority for firefighting in recent days due to its proximity — about 5 miles (8 kilometers) — to Sisters, a small city of about 3,000 people. While authorities said Sunday that fire activity had decreased across much of the blaze, part of the town is still under an evacuation notice, with residents told to be prepared to leave if necessary.

This undated photo provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation on Monday, July 27, 2026, shows the Fox Fire burning in eastern Oregon. (Oregon Department of Transportation via AP)

This undated photo provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation on Monday, July 27, 2026, shows the Fox Fire burning in eastern Oregon. (Oregon Department of Transportation via AP)