Jackson Koivun, 20, of Chapel Hill, N.C., has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading male in the 2025 World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®.
The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions next year into the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.
“It’s a huge honor to win this award,” said Koivun. “I’m very grateful to everyone who has helped me and it’s a dream come true. It’s a medal every amateur golfer strives for. It’s in the back of everyone’s head and you just try and fight and keeping playing well. To be able to say I’m a McCormack Medal winner is just really, really cool.”
Koivun's freshman year at Auburn University in 2024 was one of the best seasons in collegiate history. Last year he won the Southeastern Conference Championship and only finished outside the top-six once in 13 starts. He became the first player to win all four major collegiate awards (Jack Nicklaus, Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan and Phil Mickelson Awards) in the same season. As a freshman, he posted a 3-0 match play record to help Auburn claim its first-ever NCAA title, while finishing a stroke out of the top spot individually. Koivun was selected to represent the USA in the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2024 and did so again this year.
In 2025, he has won the SEC Men's Golf Championship Stroke Play and the NCAA Auburn Regional, as well as finishing runner-up at the Mason Rudolph Championship. Koivun’s amateur achievements have helped secure professional opportunities. He qualified for his major debut at the U.S. Open in June and has since impressed by securing three finishes inside the top 12 at the John Deere Classic, ISCO Championship and Wyndham Championship on the PGA TOUR.
Koivun was named earlier this summer to the USA side for next month’s 50th Walker Cup Match against Great Britain and Ireland at Cypress Point Club, in Pebble Beach, Calif., and is in the inaugural Elite Amateur Program, part of the U.S. National Development Program launched by the USGA to help players navigate their college years and transition to the next level.
“I’m super excited for the Walker Cup at Cypress Point. I grew up about an hour away from there,” said the California-born Koivun. “I’ve played there a couple of times and it’s an unbelievable course. To be named a Walker Cup player is something I will never forget and is truly special. I’m looking forward to going and competing.”
“Jackson has shown that he is a force in the amateur game and we’re proud to see him accept this honour and reap the benefits of all that comes with it,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer, John Bodenhamer. “All of us at the USGA look forward to watching him compete at Cypress Point in a few weeks and know he’ll be a presence in our championships for years to come.”
“Jackson has enjoyed an outstanding year and we congratulate him on winning this prestigious award,” said Professor Steve Otto, Chief Technology Officer at The R&A. “In leading amateur championships and professional events, he has demonstrated exceptional skills and is a thoroughly deserving recipient of this year’s medal. We look forward to watching his career progress in the years ahead.”
The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses over 4,317 counting events, ranking 4,860 players from 118 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,984 counting events with more than 3,353 ranked players from 85 countries.