PGA Tour rookie Steven Fisk finished birdie-birdie-birdie to notch his first career tour victory Sunday at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss.
Fisk posted an 8-under-par 64 in his final round, carding a 24-under-par 264 at the Country Club of Jackson to overtake South Africa’s Garrick Higgo by two strokes. Ranked No. 183 in the world, Fisk got hotter as the week went on (70-65-65-64), and his 64 was the lowest score of the day.
“Based on the scores earlier this week I didn’t have a target score in mind today, but I knew it was going to be — I knew it was going to require more birdies than anything else,” Fisk said. “Just trying to make as many as I possibly could because I knew I’d need them at the end.”
It was an emotional day for Fisk for multiple reasons.
His victory came five-plus months after his father, Christopher Fisk, died at 59 years old after fighting pancreatic cancer. Christopher Fisk got his son into golf and built a par-3 course and driving range in their hometown in Georgia.
Fisk also had Jay Green on his bag this week. Green was the caddie for PGA Tour pro Grayson Murray, who died by suicide in 2024.
“I think (his dad) nudged a couple putts in for me for sure, maybe him or Grayson,” Fisk said. “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.”
Fisk and Higgo were tied for the lead at the par-4 16th hole when Fisk drained a 41-foot birdie. Higgo matched him from 11 feet to form another tie at 22 under.
At the par-4 17th, they threw darts at the flagstick with their approach shots, and each landed about 3 feet away. But Higgo couldn’t convert his birdie putt, and Fisk calmly sank his for the outright lead.
“I don’t know. I didn’t feel anything,” Higgo said of his blunder. “The grain was pretty straight down. Obviously I think there was a little bit of movement. I took it pretty straight and moved slightly. Yeah, I was just as shocked as you were.”
Higgo, a two-time PGA Tour winner, needed to bury a 30-foot birdie attempt at No. 18 to put pressure on Fisk but missed 3 feet wide. Fisk had two putts to win but holed his 4-foot birdie look to finish in style.
His maiden tour win guarantees Fisk a full PGA Tour card through 2027. He rocketed up from No. 135 to 65 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings and has a real shot to finish the fall inside places 51-60, which would get him into the first two signature events of 2026.
“It’s job security,” Fisk said. “I think I mentioned in another interview earlier that we all think we’re good enough to compete out here and to win, and to come out here today and play like I did, and finally I truly know that I’m good enough to be a PGA Tour winner is really cool.”
Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard, who played for victorious Team Europe at the Ryder Cup last month, had four rounds in the 60s and shot a 65 Sunday to tie for third at 19 under with Vince Whaley (67) and Danny Walker (69).
“I think my game got sharper and sharper as the week went on,” Hojgaard said. “Putted great, especially today. I’ve been putting great all week, but especially today. I feel like the hole was a big bucket, so that’s always nice when you have that feeling.”
–Field Level Media
