David Flynn Has Been on Jackson Koivun's Bag Through All of It

David Flynn grew up in Illinois, graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and became a professional caddie in 2014. He has been on Jackson Koivun's bag longer than Koivun has held a PGA Tour card and on Saturday at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, the partnership made the kind of noise that tends to follow a player into a long career.

Koivun, 21, shot a bogey-free 10-under 61 on July 25 to reach 20-under and take a three-shot lead after 54 holes of the 2026 3M Open. His back nine of 28 featuring eagles at the par-5 12th and par-5 18th established a new 3M Open record, according to the PGA Tour's official round wrap. Flynn was on the bag for all 18 holes.

David Flynn: Background and Career

Flynn played collegiate golf at UNLV, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history. He began caddying professionally in 2014 and built a résumé over the following decade alongside several PGA Tour players, including Trey Mullinax, Troy Merritt, and Kevin Tway.

Away from the ropes, Flynn is listed as a staff instructor at PARennial Golf, a teaching platform that pairs active caddying experience with direct coaching. That dual role working Tour events on the weekend and teaching the mechanics of the game during the week gives him a frame of reference most caddies do not have. He has stood over the same decisions under the same pressure that the players he advises are navigating.

For a 21-year-old in his third professional start, that context is not trivial.

A Partnership Predating Koivun's Professional Card

Flynn was already caddying for Koivun through the later stages of his amateur career, and the pairing carried through to Koivun's final tournament as an amateur the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. There, Koivun and Ryder Cowan finished as co-low amateurs at 5-over 285, per the USGA's official recap.

A rookie's first weeks on Tour require sharp adjustments pacing, travel, course management in unfamiliar conditions. Having a caddie who already knows a player's pre-shot habits, pressure responses, and yardage preferences removes one variable from an already complicated equation.

Koivun described the value of those existing high-stakes experiences himself after Saturday's record round. "Playing at Auburn was so much fun," he told reporters. "We were definitely put in some stressful situations at national championships and just collegiate play. I'm just trying to lean on those experiences."

The UNLV Connection to Kitayama

There is a piece of tournament irony surrounding Flynn's presence at the 3M Open. Defending champion Kurt Kitayama a two-time PGA Tour winner who claimed the 2025 title at TPC Twin Cities was Flynn's teammate on the UNLV men's golf team.

Kitayama confirmed the connection ahead of the tournament. "We went to school together. Should be fun," Kitayama said, as reported by Reuters/Field Level Media. "He'll be walking around the course when we're playing a practice round, hang out, so looking forward to it."

The defending champion trying to keep his crown on a course where his old UNLV teammate was carrying the bag for the 54-hole leader: it is the kind of detail that shows how tightly connected professional golf remains, even as the rosters cycle through.

How Koivun Arrived at TPC Twin Cities

To understand the weight Flynn is carrying alongside Koivun, it helps to understand how unusual the 21-year-old's path to Tour membership has been.

Koivun did not come through qualifying school. He earned direct PGA Tour membership via the PGA Tour University Accelerated program, which awards points for elite amateur achievements. He reached the 20-point threshold with a top-4 finish at the 2025 NCAA Championship, per the PGA Tour's official membership announcement. He chose to delay turning professional, returned to Auburn for the 2025–26 season, helped the Tigers to their second national championship in three years, and became the first player in history to win the Haskins, Hogan, and Nicklaus Awards more than once.

His third professional start this 3M Open produced rounds of 64, 68, and 61, a 54-hole total of 193 that tied the tournament record set by wire-to-wire 2023 champion Lee Hodges, per the official PGA Tour leaderboard. He became the youngest 54-hole leader on Tour this season.

Context for how low scores were running all week: Michael Kim's second-round 59 made him the 15th player in PGA Tour history to break 60, a round that temporarily put Kim three shots clear before Koivun took over on Saturday.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, entered the final round six shots back at 14-under. Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles shared second at 17-under, three back.

A Purse Worth Playing For

The 2026 3M Open carries an $8.8 million purse, with the winner collecting $1,584,000, per the Golf Channel's official payout breakdown. The tournament awards 500 FedExCup points a meaningful haul heading into the playoff stretch, and one that would move Koivun from outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings to a position that makes postseason golf a realistic target.

For a player in his third professional start, that arithmetic had been theoretical. By Sunday morning at Blaine, it was not.

Koivun completed three rounds at 64-68-61 and held a three-shot lead going into the final round on Sunday, July 26, at TPC Twin Cities. Results are available on the official PGA Tour leaderboard.