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Justin Thomas looks to be the ideal partner for Jackson Koivun as the youngster now looks ahead to making his Presidents Cup debut later this month.

Brandt Snedeker injected some much-needed positivity into the event by taking a gamble and making Koivun his sixth and final pick for Medinah.

What do you think of Brandt Snedeker picking Jackson Koivun for the Presidents Cup?

How many points do you think the youngster will deliver at Medinah?

Jackson Koivun poses with the Elemental Swing trophy after winning the 3M Open 2026 at TPC Twin Cities

The 21-year-old staked a strong claim for a chance after holding off Scottie Scheffler and winning the 3M Open on his third professional start on the PGA Tour.

Nevertheless, it was still a big surprise that Snedeker decided to pick Koivun after he failed to make it to the final two playoff events at the end of the PGA Tour season.

Justin Thomas looks to be the ideal partner for Jackson Koivun at the Presidents Cup

The questions now for Snedeker concern how much Koivun will play in Illinois and who he will play alongside.

In truth, it would be a big shock to see Koivun feature in the Friday foursomes.

But he should certainly be sent out on Thursday morning, with Justin Thomas the man alongside him.

Thomas will make his return to the Presidents Cup this year after being overlooked in 2024. However, the two-time major champion is a senior figure within the team room having made his debut in the event nine years ago.

Justin Thomas issues statement on social media after being knocked out of the PGA Tour playoffs For the first time in two seasons, Justin Thomas’ season is over before the Tour Championship. Thomas won for the first time since 2022 last year at the RBC Heritage, but underwent surgery on the back end of 2025, and only returned to the PGA Tour at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Since then, he contended at the PGA Championship and has been remarkably consistent throughout the year. He hasn’t had the season-defining result that would have booked his place at East Lake for the Tour Championship, however. Despite this, Thomas is encouraged by the season, as he explained in a social media statement after his season ended early. Justin Thomas reacts to missing the Tour Championship A T16 at the BMW Championship meant Thomas was outside of the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings by the end of the tournament, and therefore did not qualify to play in the playoff finale at the Tour Championship. But the two-time PGA Championship winner is still proud of his season given the circumstances. He posted to X: “Well, my season ended a week sooner than I would’ve liked… I’m always one who doesn’t give myself much grace and am too hard on myself. “While this year doesn’t feel much different, a part of me (albeit a small part 🤣) is proud of comfortably making it the @BMWchamps. Most of the season felt like I was one round or stretch of holes away from holding a trophy come Sunday. “It’s wild to think I’m a little over 9 months removed from my microdiscectomy surgery, and was very pleased with how everything in my body felt this season. A lot of hours and trust in my team to help me every step of the way. Massive thanks to them! “All that being said… I’m one day removed from my “season” being done and I’m already itching to get back. I’m ready to get back to the quality golf I know I’m capable of and winning tournaments. I’m extremely appreciative of my fans for all their support. Bigger and better things ahead!” Thomas’ return started with a +14 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he immediately recovered and played some great golf throughout the year. If he played a full schedule, it’s hard ot imagine he misses out on East Lake. Now that Thomas is back to full health, expect to see him back in contention in 2027.Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

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No one who has played more than 10 matches in the history of the Presidents Cup has a better win percentage than Thomas.

And he has shown over the years that he can be successful alongside a variety of different players while representing Team USA, including Jordan Spieth, Cameron Young, and, perhaps most famously, Tiger Woods.

Nothing at Medinah will surprise Thomas. So he is arguably the ideal person to be stood alongside Koivun in case the occasion does threaten to get to him.

He is very good at judging when to get the crowd involved, while he does have that extra gear if his partner is struggling.

Thomas lauded Koivun after his 3M Open victory, noting that he was surprised by how comfortable he looked with the lead considering that he had the world number one trying to put the pressure on.

With many of the more senior players on the team involved in established partnerships – Xander Schauffele will surely link up with Patrick Cantlay, while Scottie Scheffler will likely play alongside Russell Henley – Thomas stands out as the perfect teammate for Koivun.

Snedeker should not be afraid to throw them out together in the early stages on Thursday.

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