Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
On Sunday, Jackson Kouvin secured his first victory on the PGA Tour after topping the field that headed to TPC Twin Cities for the 3M Open. He celebrated the win by fishing in a pond next to the 18th hole, and he got a pass for a move that is normally accompanied by the threat of criminal charges.
Most golf fans weren’t that familiar with Jackson Kouvin at this point last week, as the 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie was not one of the more notable names who headed to Minnesota to compete in the 3M Open.
Kouvin was an incredibly accomplished amateur who helped Auburn secure a national title during his freshman season in 2024, and last year, the two-time winner of multiple awards reserved for the best college golfer in the country secured his PGA Tour card before he was legally allowed to drink a beer.
He’d made his debut on the circuit in 2024, but he missed the cut and finished in 52nd in the two tournaments he competed in that year. He had a bit more success in 2025, as he only missed the cut in one of the seven events he entered while securing three Top 10 finishes in a row (peaking at a tie for 4th at the Procore Championship).
Kouvin officially turned pro in June after wrapping up his junior year at Auburn, and while he missed the cut at the John Deere Classic, he got his first paycheck to the tune of $93,000 after tying for 10th at the ISCO Championship earlier this month.
He made significantly more after getting his first win at the 3M Open, and he thankfully won’t have to use any of it for bail money after skirting the rules at the course he conquered.
Jackson Kouvin got the OK to fish in a pond at the 3M Open despite rules against angling at TPC Twin Cities
Kouvin was sitting in a tie for second and just two strokes behind the leader when he fired off a 64 in his opening round last Thursday, which set the tone for a tournament where a 68 on Friday marked his highest score of the tournament.
His 61 on Saturday put him at -20 and gave him a three-stroke lead over the rest of the field heading into the final 18 holes, and he was able to hold off a surging Scottie Scheffler with a 66 that led to him securing his first PGA Tour victory (and the $1,584,000 reserved for the winner) by the same margin.
Kouvin got the chance to decompress after the celebration died down by heading to the edge of the rough near the 18th green, where he was filmed trying to catch some fish.
Only in the Land of 10,000 Lakes can a championship celebration look like this. 🎣🏆 Congratulations, Jackson Koivun! pic.twitter.com/nNOSnICyEE
— 3M Open (@3MOpen) July 27, 2026
As Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine pointed out, there are signs posted at TPC Twin Cities that read “Fishing at TPC Property is trespassing” while warning potential violators they will be “removed and prosecuted.” However, it’s safe to assume they are targeted at people who make their way onto the course just to fish there, so it appears Kouvin gets a well-deserved pass.
It’s unclear if Kouvin brought his own rod to the course or if someone there provided him with one, and it doesn’t look like he managed to catch anything. However, that would have just been a bonus to cap off a monumental day for a guy who appears to have a very bright future ahead of him.