Steven Fisk secured the Sanderson Farms Championship in style with back-to-back birdies on the final three holes. Grabbing his first PGA Tour title, the event marks a major career milestone in Fisk’s run as a pro golfer. However, behind this landmark lies the grounding influence of his father, who passed away earlier this year. Attributing his success to his father, the pro golfer shared the subtle presence that shaped his golfing career.

“I think he nudged a couple of putts in for me for sure, maybe him or Grayson. I had a couple of helpers out there. I miss him very much, and I know he’d be really proud of how I played all week and especially today to keep my composure and just go about my business the best way I know how,” Fisk told the media. He shared that while his father couldn’t physically be with him for his maiden title, he stayed with Fisk through spirit.

Moreover, Fisk believed that his late father guided him through the shots, highlighting the relationship between the father-son duo. No, his father didn’t help him physically; rather, through the strength his memory provided. But more than anything, Fisk shared his satisfaction in having made his father proud. At the end of the day, Fisk’s victory was about more than a personal achievement; it was about honoring the values of work ethic, resilience, and humility of his father.

But his late father’s role in Fisk’s victory goes beyond emotional validation. In fact, Fisk’s early roots in golf helped the 28-year-old deliver the jaw-dropping 24-under win. The pro golfer shared that his parents built a par-3  driving range, which essentially doubled up as a playground for a five-year-old Fisk. “I was really lucky. My parents built a driving range, a nine-hole par-3 course five minutes from where I grew up. I think it opened when I was four or five years old, and it’s still there, Rum Creek Golf Course. I think I had a golf course as a playground my whole childhood,” Fisk revealed.

The Rum Creek Golf Course provided Fisk an early exposure to golf and its nuances. The modest setup helped him build a strong foundation of fundamentals and swing mechanics. As it happens, his sharp iron game developed courtesy of the tiny, pushed-up greens demanding terrifying accuracy. That was especially evident at the Sanderson Farms Championship this week.

As per ESPN, Fisk’s driving accuracy was a remarkable 60.7% while his GIR (greens in regulation) was 76.4%. This incredible accuracy and distance control translated into a total of 29 birdies for the event. While his performance faltered at times with 5 bogeys in total, Fisk’s scores only got better with each round. Carding rounds of 70-65-65-64, the 28-year-old claimed the trophy with a two-stroke lead against the South African sensation, Garrick Higgo.

However, the final day showdown itself was full of dramatic twists and turns.

Steven Fisk claims the trophy in a nail-biting battle against Higgo

Steven Fisk finished the event with an impressive score of 24-under 264. But it wasn’t until the last moment that the tension finally paid off. The leaders on the scoreboard, Garrick Higgo and Steven Fisk, were tied when the latter missed a birdie at the par-4 15th. But that was the last slip-up before the tides turned. Fisk took the crowds by surprise with a massive 40-foot birdie, which prompted one fan to shout, “Take that, Higgo.” Higgo answered with his own 12-foot birdie, keeping the tension well and alive. That’s where things got interesting.

Fisk’s 17th hole was pure drama as the ball danced around the cup before landing 3 feet away. Landing birdies on his final two holes, Fisk claimed the trophy. In contrast, Higgo, who managed to catch the lead after a bogey-bogey start to the back nine, failed to drain birdies on the final shots. That handed Fisk not only the win but also a two-year PGA Tour exemption, until 2027, after 5 years of grind that got him the card. Before this win, Fisk, at No. 135 in the FedExCup standings, risked falling back to the Korn Ferry Tour. “To have some job security is pretty nice,” Fisk shared. “It’s been a long, hard year.” 

In the end, Steven Fisk’s maiden PGA victory was a testament to more than his skill and composure under pressure. It stood as evidence of his late father’s lasting influence on his career and his early childhood foundation. Marking his place among the PGA Tour pros, Fisk’s run in the circuit has just begun, with more promised ahead.