Rookie Koivun storms ahead with 61 as Hoey struggles
MANILA, Philippines — The 3M Open leaderboard underwent a dramatic transformation on Saturday (Sunday Manila time), highlighted by a historic charge from newcomer Jackson Koivun at TPC Twin Cities.
While ideal scoring conditions — featuring softer greens and calm winds — allowed the field to attack the par-71 layout, Filipino-American Rico Hoey failed to capitalize, settling for an even-par 71 that left him lingering near the bottom of the cut line.
Rookie Jackson Koivun stole the spotlight from the PGA Tour’s heavy hitters, delivering a breathtaking, bogey-free 61. Anchored by a brilliant 33-28 scorecard, Koivun vaulted to the top of the leaderboard at 20-under 194, establishing a commanding three-stroke cushion over erstwhile leader Ben Kohles and Emiliano Grillo, who pooled identical 197s after matching 65s.
Koivun's masterclass featured a thrilling two-eagle performance. He gunned down two frontside birdies to jump-start his momentum then caught fire starting with another birdie on the 10th.
He reached the par-5 No. 12 in two before draining a 12-foot eagle putt then followed it up with a 24-footer for birdie on the 13th, a 14-foot birdie setup on No. 16, and a pinpoint tee shot to within seven feet on the par-3 penultimate hole.
Sustaining his momentum, he crushed a 330-yard drive on the par-5 18th, followed by a brilliant 223-yard approach to set up a 13-foot eagle conversion to cap off his historic round.
In stark contrast to the low-scoring frenzy, Hoey, whose campaign is supported by ICTSI, continued to slide. Following an encouraging opening-round 67 and a bruising Friday 72, he was unable to rebound on Saturday, settling for a disappointing 35-36 round.
Despite pristine scoring weather, Hoey struggled to generate momentum. He stumbled early with a costly wet double bogey on the par-4 second hole. Though he briefly steadied himself with back-to-back birdies from No. 6, his inability to control his approach shots proved fatal.
Hoey continuously failed to set up makeable birdie chances, often leaving himself long, stress-filled putts or missing greens entirely in spots where the rest of the field was picking apart the pins. A dropped stroke on No. 13 further derailed his bid, and though he managed a consolation birdie on the last holes, his 54-hole aggregate of 210 plummeted him nine spots down into a tie for 63rd, sealing another forgettable weekend finish on the PGA Tour.
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