Right around this time last year, Patrick Fishburn was in the midst of a slump. This slump couldn’t have come at a worse time – the beginning of his rookie season on the PGA Tour. The Utah native missed the cut in seven of his first eight events in 2024, his only result a T-42 in the Puerto Rico Open, an opposite-field event the same week of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
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“You start to question all parts of your game,” said Fishburn, who earned his tour card by finishing 19th on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. “Rookie year, you don’t know what to expect and how I got out of the gates was pretty bad.”
Fortunately, Fishburn was able to course correct quickly, tying for fourth alongside fellow Utah native and childhood buddy Zac Blair at the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He wound up collecting eight top-25 finishes the remainder of the year, including a pair of thirds, the most important of which came this past Fall at the Procore Championship. That helped him finish 81st in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, allowing him to keep his card.Â
The 32-year-old father of two has never been one ot back down from a little adversity. While attending college at BYU, Fishburn had to put the clubs down for two years to complete a church mission. When he finally he returned, he was rusty. As hell.Â
“I came back and I was terrible,” he said on this week’s episode of The Loop podcast. “I was missing the driver 50 yards in both directions. I shot a 91, my first qualifying round at BYU. I thought my coach was going to rip the scholarship and tell me to go focus on my bowling class. Or whatever I was doing at BYU.”
Instead, Fishburn stuck with it, forcing himself to develop a “go-to” shot—a low, stinger cut off the tee—that helped him become the player he is now.Â
Year two began strong for Fishburn. He finished tied for sixth at the Sony Open, briefly placing him at 22nd in the FedEx Cup standings, by far his highest ranking. He’s since missed three consecutive cuts but returns to action this week at the Mexico Open. Despite the recent slide, he’s enjoying every second.Â
“That’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do, is play on the PGA Tour,” he said. “When I got my card a couple of years ago, it was one of the coolest experiences. That I finally got there.
“And then you’re striving, trying to keep it, trying to stay out there. Once you’re out there you realize, man, this is so nice to be out here playing. You get the courtesy cars, the meals are great, unbelievable courses. You never want to get off that tour.”
You can listen to our full chat with Fishburn below. And please, like and subscribe to The Loop wherever you get your podcasts.Â
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
