With divine intervention and loads of self-belief, Steven Fisk captures first tour title in ‘long, hard year’
Steven Fisk with his wife Edith on the 18th green at the Country Club of Jackson after Steven won his first PGA Tour title in his 24th career start.
Jonathan Bachman
Steven Fisk saw himself as the winner at the start of the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship Sunday, even though he trailed two-time PGA Tour winner Garrick Higgo by two shots. Then he saw himself as the winner at the end of it, too, inspired by two people who were with him in spirit.
“I came out today with an attitude that nothing was going to stop me from what I wanted, no matter what happened, no matter what shots I hit,” the rookie from Atlanta said after making his dream a reality by outdueling Higgo down the stretch for his first PGA Tour title in just his 24th career start. “I just felt like I’d be standing right here right now before today started.
“Self-belief. Grit. I know I’m good enough,” he added in explaining why he felt the way he did despite just one top-10 finish in his career. “I thought I could do it.”
Fisk, 28, a product of Georgia Southern University, finished off the victory at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi, like he’d been there before—and not just in his mind—notching birdies on his final three holes and four of his last five for a closing eight-under 64 and 24-under 264 total. His closing push blunted Higgo’s four-birdie binge from the 13th to 16th holes that kept them knotted them atop the leaderboard at 22 under par.
Higgo put his index finger to his lips to hush the crowd after his 11-foot birdie at the 16th hole after Fisk ran in a 41-footer and then hit his approach shot to three feet at 17. But Fisk then left Higgo muttering to himself by sticking his approach inside him. Higgo missed and Fisk converted, and for good measure Fisk stiffed another shot to within four feet of the pin at 18. He holed that one, too, to account for a two-stroke victory.
“I didn't feel anything. The grain was pretty straight down. Obviously, I think there was a little bit of movement,” Higgo said of the short miss on the penultimate green. “I took it pretty straight and moved slightly. Yeah, I was just as shocked as you were. Those are pretty routine for me.”
Danny Walker, another rookie, also was in the mix for much of the day before running out of gas against the birdie machines in front of him. Walker, after a 69, ended up in a tie for third at 19-under 269 with Vince Whaley, who shot 67, and Rasmus Hojgaard, who closed with a 65 one week after playing on Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team.
Fisk became the 14th first-time winner of the season and the 15th player to earn his first tour title at the event. His best previous finish was a T-4 at the Puerto Rico Open, one of four top-25s on the season. He came into the week ranked 183rd in the world and 135th in the FedEx Cup standings and leaves with a two-year tour exemption.
“To have some job security is pretty nice. It’s been a long, hard year,” he said.
Jonathan Bachman
Fisk, the fourth rookie winner of 2025, lost his father earlier this year. His caddie this week was Jay Green, who caddied for Grayson Murray, who struggled with depression and ended his own life last May. Fisk was asked what role his father might have played in his breakthrough win. Plenty, given the fact that his parents built a driving range and nine-hole course near where he grew up in Stockbridge, Ga.
“Yeah, I was really lucky. I think I had a golf course as a playground my whole childhood,” Fisk said. “All those greens were pushed up, and they were really small and kind of … truly, I think it made me into the iron player that I am today. It's a special place, and it will always be cool that it led to this.”
In the end, however, he figured there were multiple hands assisting him.
“I think he nudged a couple putts in for me for sure, maybe him or Grayson,” he replied. “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 kind of go about my business the best way I know how.
“I'd like to think that he knew this day would happen.”
His son sure seemed to know.