At this point, the recognition felt almost unavoidable.

Koivun has spent the season separating himself from the rest of college golf. The Chapel Hill, N.C., native won six times in nine starts this spring, breaking Auburn’s career wins record while also tying the SEC career wins mark. He enters the NCAA Championship as the clear frontrunner for national player of the year honors.

The best player in amateur golf is an Auburn Tiger (again)‼️🔥

Jackson Koivun becomes the third man in history to win the @BenHoganAward twice. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Krb4AyiESa

— Auburn Men's Golf (@AuburnMGolf) May 26, 2026

The numbers back it up. Koivun averaged 67.97 across 36 rounds, carded 29 rounds at par or better, and made 179 birdies this season. Twelve of his 13 starts resulted in top-10 finishes, with his “worst” outing being a tie for 17th at the Ben Hogan Collegiate back in the fall.

His spring run included three straight wins in April, capped by a third consecutive SEC individual title—something no player had accomplished since 1967.

And his impact hasn’t been limited to college golf.

Koivun represented the United States in both the Arnold Palmer Cup and Walker Cup, helping Team USA secure another Walker Cup victory over Great Britain & Ireland. He also impressed in PGA TOUR events last summer, making six cuts in seven starts and recording finishes of T11, T6, T5, and T4 against professional fields.

The Ben Hogan Award, voted on by a committee of golf leaders and former winners, recognizes the top player across collegiate, amateur, and professional competition over the past 12 months.

Now, Koivun’s name sits alongside John Rahm and Ludvig Åberg in Hogan Award history—and his college career may not be finished adding to it.