From the age of five years old, Steven Fisk grew up playing Rum Creek Golf Course in his hometown of Stockbridge, Georgia, a par-3 course and driving range that his parents built and operated. How

“I was really lucky,” he said to have a course just five minutes away from his home at his disposal. “I think I had a golf course as a playground my whole childhood. All those greens were pushed up, and they were really small and truly I think it made me into the iron player that I am today.”

On Sunday, Fisk stuffed a short iron from 152 yards at the 18th to inside 4 feet and set up his ninth birdie of the day en route to a two-shot victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship over 54-hole leader Garrick Higgo.

"I'll be honest, I pulled it a little bit," Fisk said. "I wasn't quite going left of that pin, but it worked out really good."

Fisk posted an 8-under 64 at The Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi, and then hugged his wife, who jumped into his arms on the 18th green, as they both shed tears for his first PGA Tour title. The 28-year-old rookie closed in style, carding birdies on the final three holes and four of the last five for a 72-hole total of 24-under 264.

"It's a lifelong dream. Sometimes you doubt yourself but I felt like I could do it," he said. "I came out today with an attitude that nothing was going to stop me from what I wanted no matter what happened today. I just felt like I was going to be standing right here, right now, before today started."

Fisk entered the final round trailing by three shots at 16 under until he opened with birdies on two of his first three holes. He made his lone bogey of the day at No. 4, but bounced back with a birdie one hole later and added another circle on the card at No. 8.

Fisk took the lead with a two-putt birdie from 48 feet at the 11th as Higgo fell off the pace with bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11. The South African, who closed in 68, refused to go quietly, fighting to the finish with four straight birdies beginning at No. 13. The drama built as Fisk drained a putt from 41 feet at 16 and Higgo answered from 11 feet to remain tied for the lead. But Higgo missed a 5-foot birdie putt at 17 and Fisk converted from closer range to pull ahead again. He slammed the door shut on his first triumph by sticking his approach at 18 to inside 4 feet for his ninth birdie of the day.

Fisk had struggled with his putting most of the year and entered the week at 135th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings. He opened with 70 and ranked near the bottom of the field at 129th in Strokes Gained: putting in the first round. His sports psychologist recommended he read “Putting Out of Your Mind,” by Dr. Bob Rotella, and after shooting 65 on Friday to make the cut he downloaded the audiobook Friday night and listened to a few chapters.

“It just kind of helped me focus on the right things,” said Fisk, who ranked third on Saturday and sixth on Sunday in SG: putting and 13th for the tournament. “It was chapter 2 or 3, just be really target-oriented and not worry about anything else and just believe that it's going to be a good putt and have a chance to go in.”

Rasmus Højgaard (65), Vince Whaley (67) and Danny Walker (69) tied for third at 19 under.

But it was the ballstriking of Fisk that shined brightest and helped secure his first win. He topped the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, displaying the brilliance he learned long ago at the family course where he fell in love with the game.

“It's a special place, and it will always be cool that it led to this,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Steven Fisk birdies final three holes to win Sanderson Farms Championship

Reporting by Adam Schupak, Golfweek / Golfweek

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