For a sport with a reputation for moving slowly, golf always seems to be in a hurry to appoint the next big star.
Jackson Koivun is next on the list and certainly worth watching.
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Scottie Scheffler reacts to his shot from the second tee 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)
Tommy Fleetwood of England, left with Jordan Spieth of the United States on the 18th green after they completed their second rounds during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Collin Morikawa of the United States acknowledges the crown on the 1st green after putting during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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 holds 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)
It's not just because he won a PGA Tour event — which included the No. 1 player in the world — just two months after leaving college. Remember, it was only two years ago when Nick Dunlap won The American Express (Scottie Scheffler played that one, too) while he was a sophomore at Alabama.
Different about Koivun is that he carried the expectations of being the No. 1 amateur in the world. He won six times in college, swept all the awards as the best player, led Auburn to another NCAA title and last year had three straight top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events without ever looking as though the moment was too big.
And then in his third start as a pro, Koivun shot 61 on Saturday in the 3M Open after Scheffler had set the target, and then held off Scheffler and everyone else with a 66 and a three-shot victory.
That he played bogey-free on the weekend — only three other PGA Tour winners this year have done that — speaks to his poise. There's also the three words he writes on his golf glove — confidence, trust, dominate. That last word he came up with at Auburn “because I just want to go see how good I can play.”
He can play.
So where does he go now? For starters, the Rocket Classic this week in Detroit.
Koivun, who earned his card a year ago as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University accelerated program for underclassmen, moved to No. 70 in the FedEx Cup with his victory at the 3M Open. Two tournaments remain for the top 70 to qualify for the postseason. That would be impressive.
But that's not enough. There already is chatter about Koivun being an option for Brandt Snedeker to take as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup in September.
The notion would seem to follow Europe (never a bad idea when it comes to a cup) when Ludvig Aberg of Sweden was No. 1 in the PGA Tour University ranking in 2023. He didn't win until his ninth start as a pro — at the European Masters in Switzerland — but the polish and power were so evident that Luke Donald put him on the Ryder Cup team in Italy.
The idea was to take a player expected to be on many teams for many years and give him a taste of team competition early, especially a home game. It worked out well for Aberg, who went 2-2 in Rome, and ended the year matching the PGA Tour scoring record (253) to win at Sea Island.
The Presidents Cup is nothing like the Ryder Cup, of course. The greatest value would be getting comfortable in a team environment — although Koivun did play in the Walker Cup at Cypress Point last September — and getting phone numbers for group chats with players he still hasn't met.
Picking someone so raw wouldn't be all that unusual on the American side.
Jordan Spieth won his first PGA Tour event at age 19 — he started the year without a card and won in his 15th start as a pro — and he was picked for the 2013 Presidents Cup. Spieth qualified for the postseason and in the second playoff event in Boston shot a 62 on the final day. That led Phil Mickelson to text U.S. captain Fred Couples, “Dude, you've got to pick this guy.”
He did, and Spieth played on nine of the next 10 U.S. teams. Two years after that pick, Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, had a chance at all four majors and reached No. 1 in the world.
Is that the road awaiting Koivun? He clearly has the game and can handle the stage.
Even so, golf is best viewed with a wide lens.
There was another California native once looked upon as golf's next big thing. Matthew Wolff had enormous power and a knack for big moments, leading Oklahoma State to the NCAA title in 2018 and then crushing the field the next year to win the NCAA individual title, one of six college wins.
Wolff turned pro and won the 3M Open in his third start in 2019, making eagle on the final hole to beat Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa. Wolff finished No. 70 in the FedEx Cup in just six starts, but he lasted only one playoff event.
The Presidents Cup had four captain's picks in 2019 (Tiger Woods used one of them on himself for Royal Melbourne) and Wolff was a never a big part of the conversation.
One year later, Wolff had the 54-hole lead in the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and was on the verge of veritable stardom until DeChambeau raced past him to win. Within six months, Wolff was struggling with expectations and mental health issues. And then in 2022, he was off to LIV Golf.
Aberg has taken his lumps along the way — he has won just once since that blazing start right out of Texas Tech. Morikawa, who won in his sixth start as a pro, had two majors a little more than two years after leaving Cal. Scheffler was part of that age group and took nearly four years to win. And then he didn't stop winning.
“I had a decent college career, but by no means was I a can’t-miss type of prospect,” Scheffler said.
Koivun fits that mold. He had a great college career. He already has the hype and he already has a trophy. It will be fascinating to see where he goes, how quickly he gets there, how long he lasts.
Give it time.
On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Scottie Scheffler reacts to his shot from the second tee 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)
Tommy Fleetwood of England, left with Jordan Spieth of the United States on the 18th green after they completed their second rounds during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Collin Morikawa of the United States acknowledges the crown on the 1st green after putting during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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 holds 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)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.
The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official.
Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, which was their second sit-down this month. Sen. Lindsey Graham will be eulogized Tuesday during memorial services across Washington. Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the cathedral, alongside Fox News’ Sean Hannity and other conservative leaders.
Later, Trump joined guests and foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral to eulogize Sen. Lindsey Graham, who rose to become one of his generation’s more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad.
Here's the latest:
A White House teleprompter operator who was put on unpaid leave after new reports stated he had used inside knowledge to make bets about Trump’s speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi is no longer in his post, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the personnel matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed on Tuesday that the teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, “no longer works in the federal government.” The official did say whether Perez had resigned or was fired.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier this month that Perez had been placed on unpaid leave after ABC News reported the teleprompter operator had used his inside knowledge to win more than $100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year.
— Aamer Madhani
The U.S. Air Force has begun taking steps to rename Joint Base Charleston in honor of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, an Air Force official says.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military matters, said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signed a memo Monday to begin the process of renaming the base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham.
The official said there was no immediate timeline on how long the process would take to rename the base, which is adjacent to Charleston International Airport. The renaming was reported earlier by the Post and Courier.
Graham served in the Air Force, the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard for more than 30 years as a lawyer before retiring at the rank of colonel, according to his Senate website.
He was honored at a memorial service Tuesday after he died suddenly on July 11.
—- Konstantin Toropin
Speaking at the lectern during his tribute to Graham, Trump paused to note the difficulty of the moment.
“I will say, this memorial service — it’s so hard to say: memorial service for Lindsey,” Trump said before continuing.
Toward the end of his roughly 12-minute tribute, Trump looked upward and suggested Graham was “watching us” now.
“Our nation needs more men and women like that great person sitting, laying — wherever he may be,” Trump said. “I think I know where he is, and I think he’s up there. I think he’s watching us. I’m pretty sure of it.”
Trump recalled the passionate defense Graham issued during the confirmation hearing in 2018 for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, during Trump's first term as president.
Christine Blasey Ford had come forward and accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were in high school, an allegation he denied.
Graham, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee considering the nomination, passionately defended Kavanaugh, who later was confirmed to the high court.
“His impassioned defense of a wonderful person, a great gentleman, Justice Kavanaugh, ended a disgraceful attack on this very good man and gave us one of the greatest moments the Senate has ever seen,” Trump said. “It was a truly monumental moment in Senate history. I believe it was Lindsey’s perhaps finest hour.”
Kavanaugh was among the mourners at Washington National Cathedral.
Trump remembered Graham as someone who became a “constant fixture of American politics at the highest level, and a force to be reckoned with all over the world.”
“For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it,” Trump said. “And no bill became law in the most exceptional Republican human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”
“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out,” Trump said.
Trump said Graham “went out at the peak of his career and the top of his game.”
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump on Tuesday as “excellent.”
He added that it was “a conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I’ve had with the President of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.”
The Israeli Prime Minister met with Trump in the White House for about 90 minutes of talks, in a meeting that was closed to press coverage. He said that Trump’s “entire senior team” was present at the meeting, as well as “our senior team,” and that it was “an opportunity to exchange ideas and to coordinate arrangements that are important for the security and future of the State of Israel.”
The Israeli prime minister departed after about 90 minutes of talks.
As he was leaving, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement on X noting that Trump had concluded his meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy.
She said: “Both meetings were positive and productive!”
They were closed to press coverage.
The event was held in Washington on Monday evening and was also attended by Graham’s sister and replacement in the Senate, Darlene Graham, as well as other relatives, friends of the late senator, “senior administration officials and members of Congress,” according to a statement by Netanyahu’s office.
Speaking at the event, the Israeli leader praised Graham as “deeply committed to the security of the United States, to the security of Israel, and to the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism,“ the statement said.
Netanyahu, who is meeting with Trump at the White House, is among several foreign leaders who are expected to attend Graham’s Washington funeral held later on Tuesday.
“America has lost a great patriot. Israel has lost one of its greatest friends and supporters. And I have lost a dear friend,” Netanyahu said at the memorial dinner.
In a social media post afterward, the Ukrainian leader said his first act was to offer his condolences to Trump on the death of Graham, who was close to Trump and a strong supporter of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy says he and Trump discussed licenses for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors and “several other ideas that could help.” They also discussed diplomacy.
Zelenskyy said he expressed gratitude to the United States for “its firm support” and said their teams will arrange future communication.
The White House closed the meeting to independent journalists. Zelenskyy released photos showing him posing with Trump and that U.S. secretaries Rubio, Bessent and Hegseth attended the Oval Office meeting.
Iran says recent U.S. strikes destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and caused damage to 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani provided the details Tuesday in an announcement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.
The U.S. military said it struck numerous military targets this month in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Arab countries hosting U.S. forces.
Both sides paused their attacks over the weekend, though tensions remain high.
Mohajerani said Bushehr International Airport, on the Persian Gulf, has been “rendered inoperable.” Both tunnels have been reopened and alternate routes have been established around the damaged bridges, she said.
She said other civilian infrastructure had also been destroyed, including a meteorological center and fishing boats. The U.S. says it targeted small boats used by Iranian forces to harass ships in the strait.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., placed both hands on his casket and then placed her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. And Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.
Scores of former senators also traveled to the Capitol to pay their respects, including former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., who bowed and then briefly kissed the casket.
Others stood briefly before his casket and offered a short prayer and a sign of the cross.
The black SUV carrying the Israeli prime minister arrived on West Executive Avenue minutes after Zelenskyy departed after his own meeting with Trump.
Netanyahu stepped out of the passenger side of the vehicle and buttoned his suit jacket before entering through a side entrance to the West Wing. The meeting is also closed to press coverage.
Ambassador Danny Danon told U.N. reporters Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu definitely wants to hear from President Trump what he wants to see in the coming days or weeks.
“I cannot tell you which direction it will go. There are different options,” he said. “We are prepared for all scenarios, and we will discuss it with the president.”
Danon was responding to a question on whether Israel expects the two leaders to talk about specifics of scaling down or ending the war in Iran.
“Well, I’m sure that will be number one on the agenda in the meeting today between the prime minister and the president,” he replied.
Amid somewhat strained U.S.-Israeli relations, Danon stressed, “We fought shoulder-to-shoulder against Iran, and we are prepared to continue supporting the U.S. in pursuing peace and stability in the region.” He added that Gaza will also be on the Trump-Netanyahu agenda.
“I traveled with Lindsey all over the world as part of the congressional delegations and I saw firsthand just how much he was respected by our allies and just how well he was able to connect with foreign leaders around the world,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.
Thune and others are honoring Graham at a tribute Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda.
Thune and others also cited Graham’s sense of humor. He said that when lawmakers would gather for dinners in Washington, Graham was always the first call. He said no one was more capable of cracking up a room.
Choking up, he closed by telling Graham to “rest in peace my friend.”
“I look forward to the days when you make us all laugh again,” Thune said.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.8 in July from 92.2 in June.
Consumers’ view of current business and labor market conditions fell by 3.6 points to 114.9, the third straight monthly decline.
Views about their near-term futures held steady from last month with a reading of 74.7.
Consumer attitudes had improved modestly in June as gas prices came down to around $3.70 a gallon from more than $4.50 a gallon in late April and early May. But as fighting in the Middle East escalated, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. started to rise again. On Tuesday it was $4.10, according to the auto club AAA.
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The White House says the meeting started at 9:47 a.m. It is “closed press,” meaning journalists at aren’t likely to see the leaders together in the Oval Office.
The remains of the Republican senator have arrived at the U.S. Capitol, his flag-draped casket carried inside by an armed forces team, in recognition of his military service.
He’s being honored at a tribute in the Rotunda, the start of two days of services for the South Carolina senator.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak and several Cabinet officials, including former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the Homeland Security secretary, were in attendance, as was acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who faces a rocky Senate confirmation for the job.
The threat came in response to President Trump’s post on social media last week, in which he threatened to use Iranian assets frozen abroad to pay for damage to ships from Iranian attacks in the strait.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, said Tuesday that any countries or companies that join in Trump’s “unlawful action” will be barred from using the strait. The critical waterway carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas before the war. His video message was carried by Iranian state TV.
Trump had said damage to ships would be “paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.” It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to seize and spend the funds.
The Ukrainian leader’s car pulled up on West Executive Avenue, a private road within the White House complex. He stepped out of the passenger side of a black SUV and walked around the rear to enter the White House for the meeting.
Bill Pulte, the acting director of national intelligence, has sought to leave his mark during his interim status in the job.
With the Senate poised to confirm Jay Clayton for the role, Pulte released Tuesday on X a series of intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.
The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of a broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections — most especially the 2020 presidential race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Pulte has also presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies.
He boasted on X that with a latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago.
Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel in an interview that Iran knows he’ll “finish the job” if its leaders don’t make a deal to end the war.
He says millions of people would then struggle to get by.
Trump claimed he would need less than an hour to “take out” most of Iran’s bridges and said he could blow up their power plants “within one day” and then target desalinization plants.
“You know, if I can avoid doing that, I’d like to do that,” he said.
The president says he’s not worried about construction activities at Iran’s potential nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, a complex Trump has threatened to bomb.
And Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for publicly expressing concerns about the site ahead of the two leaders’ meeting Tuesday at the White House.
“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends,” adding that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem.”
On Netanyahu’s statements ahead of his visit to Washington, Trump said, “Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce to the world.”
The bilateral huddle, on the same day that both men are attending the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, is the first since Netanyahu and Trump launched their war in Iran five months ago.
Speaking fondly about his friend and ally, Trump said he admired Graham as a nice person who was quick to call for military action.
“He was a guy that liked war,” Trump said Tuesday in a Fox News interview. “I jokingly say, and there’s nothing funny about it, but he’s never seen a war that he didn’t like.”
Trump added that Graham was “very much a hawk on Iran” but had also told Trump it was time to make a deal to end the war. That sentiment did not extend to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said.
“Ukraine he’s very militant about,” Trump said. “Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you.”
It will ensure that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach.
Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.
Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents he said were relevant to his arguments.
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Only foot traffic is allowed on streets surrounding the complex. Vehicular traffic is blocked by city police cars and dump trucks at key intersections, like Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th St and near Lafayette Park.
Netanyahu is staying at Blair House, the U.S. government’s guest house across from the White House.
Zelenskyy has the first meeting with Trump, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by Netanyahu at 11 a.m.
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.
Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.
“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.
The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.
The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.
“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”
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President Donald Trump speaks during the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Tuesday July 28, 2026, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Monday, July 27, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - President Donald Trump listens as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
