"Can't miss" has been thrown around with young athletes for decades.

It's usually reserved for the freak athletes. The ones with otherworldly skills or uncommon physical traits.

So when Jackson Koivun, a golfer who got his start on a public course in California, was labeled a "can't miss" prospect at Auburn, it broke the mold. He wasn't the biggest. He didn't swing the fastest. But his results spoke a different language than everyone else's. So much so that he became the number one amateur golfer in the world before finally turning professional at 21.

Then, in only his third start as a pro, the "can't miss" label proved true. He edged out world number one Scottie Scheffler at the 2026 3M Open, winning by three shots.

But whether you're a golf fan or not, what happened next is the part worth learning from.

In the press conference after his win, a reporter asked him what his best trait was. His response:

“My mentality.” He continued, “I watch others and don’t think I am the most talented, but if I go out and believe and use my brain to my advantage, that’s a superpower.”

Chances are you'll never play professional golf on the PGA Tour. But the lesson transfers anyway. Your best trait at work or at home can be your mentality too. And Koivun even hands you the recipe for how to build it.

Recognize that mentality isn't neutral. It's either a weapon or a weakness, and it gets stronger or weaker depending on how you train it. He also doesn't lean on talent. He leans on belief.

So the question you must answer is this: Is your mentality your superpower?

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