Patrick Fishburn is eager to tee off at the Sony Open on Jan. 15 in the season opener of the 2026 PGA Tour. Had he not served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 14 years ago, the former BYU golfer would probably be doing something else.
“I don’t think I would be on the PGA Tour without my two-year mission experience,” Fishburn told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “I feel like the things you learn on a mission you can’t replace. You have a couple of years where you are thinking about other people, you are doing service for other people, you are constantly outside your comfort zone just about every single day and you are becoming closer to the Savior. You are doing all those things you need, honestly, on the golf course.”
Following his 2012 freshman year in Provo, Fishburn put his 9-iron back in the golf bag and left the game he loved to do something he loved even more. While rewarding, missions aren’t easy. Summer proselytizing in the South can test even the most ardent soul.
As Fishburn and his companions knocked on doors across Tennessee, Tiger Woods was knocking down birdies across the country as the No. 1-ranked player on the PGA Tour — something Fishburn longed to do someday. Little did he know, his mission was getting him ready.
“Those two years, 100%, prepared me to play on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I feel I do a lot better when I go into a round and I downplay the meaning of it. You reflect back on the mission, some of those houses I was in, some of the people I talked to, some of the things I did. I think about that before a round and it really puts things into perspective and it makes that round, even though it’s very important, there are a lot more things going on. Those two years were crucial.”
Stress on Tour
The physical side of golf is easy to see when Bryson DeChambeau crushes a drive, or Scottie Scheffler rips a 5-iron. The mental side of the game is much harder to detect. For Fishburn, his tournament days typically begin with an upset stomach.
“Every week is very stressful,” he said. “In every round there is a level of anxiety and nervousness.”
Fishburn’s insides were turning on Nov. 21 ahead of the second round at the RSM Classic at Georgia’s Sea Island Resort. He needed a strong finish to secure his PGA Tour card for 2026.
Patrick Fishburn looks over the ninth green during the final round of the RSM Classic, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in St. Simons Island, Ga. | AP
“My job was on the line,” he said, knowing as a young father of three boys that his wife, Madison, was also praying for a big finish. “The stomach isn’t cooperating, you are trying to battle all the different things mentally, you are just trying to get yourself in the right mental state.”
His first-round 71 had him standing on shaky ground. This needed to be a bounce-back day.
“The most nervous I’ve ever been in certain situations has produced some of the best golf,” Fishburn said. “I was well outside the cut line, and I needed to make the cut to have any job security for this year.”
Fishburn sank six birdies on the back nine for a stunning round of 62. He went on to finish the tournament tied for 34th to secure his tour card and qualify for this month’s Sony Open in Honolulu (Jan. 15–18, Golf Channel).
“The level of competition is so stinking good. You have to be dialed in physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually just to have a chance,” he said. “That’s why I love it. There is nothing better than to be in the hunt to win on the weekend on the PGA Tour.”
Sony Open
Fishburn was in the hunt to win last year’s Sony Open. He rolled into the weekend tied for first place before slipping to a sixth-place finish. He’s eager for another shot at Waialae Country Club.
“That’s a course I really love. It’s always very windy. I love playing in the wind,” Fishburn said. “I pretty much grew up playing in the trees. When you are in the trees you have a small target to get it out of there. On a windy day, that’s what it feels like. There is only one shot you can hit. You have to carve it against the wind and hit the right number.”
Patrick Fishburn watches his shot on the third hole during the final round of the Sony Open, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. | AP
Fishburn’s New Year’s resolution is to hit the right number enough times to get that elusive first Tour victory.
“When you win a PGA tournament, the first thing you think about is winning a ticket to Augusta National (The Masters),” he said. “I think everyone’s first thought would be that. With winning comes a two-year (Tour) exemption. You are always looking for job security on the PGA Tour. That’s the goal — to win.”
Built to win
The No. 25 BYU men’s golf team resumes its season Jan. 28 at the Arizona NIT in Tucson. Fishburn believes the Cougars are built to contend.
“They have such a deep team,” he said. “It’s going to be really hard just to make the top five (in the) lineup. They are so good.”
Kihei Akina hits his tee shot on the 18th hole of the final round of the 2025 Utah Open at Riverside Country Club in Provo on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Highly touted freshman Kihei Akina is on Fishburn’s radar.
“I had a chance to play a practice round with him at Black Desert. I was so impressed,” he said. “You can tell he’s a professional already just by the way he dissects a practice round, his mindset. He’s a guy that doesn’t get rattled by bad shots, which is so key in golf. He’s got all the fundamentals. He just (needs) experience, learning. A freshman year is hard. I’m very impressed with him.”
Always a fan
For the Fremont High alum, who took his recruiting trip to Provo on the same day Jimmer Fredette led No. 9 BYU past No. 4 San Diego State 71-58 on Jan. 26, 2011, at the Marriott Center, Fishburn committed to golf coach Bruce Brockbank, and he has remained committed to the Cougars ever since.
“It’s unbelievable what’s going on at BYU,” he said of the success football and men’s basketball are having. “I’m just glued to the TV on every single game. My 4-year-old boy loves it just as much. We are pretty spoiled right now as BYU fans to have these top teams. Basketball has as good of a chance as anyone to win the national title. I’m excited.”
Starstruck after watching Jimmer score 43 against the Aztecs, Fishburn returned to Fremont to complete his senior year. While talented at golf, he was also the point guard on the Silver Wolves basketball team. Inspired by Jimmer’s long-distance shooting, he decided to expand his own range.
“I started pulling up from just about a foot inside the half court line,” recounted Fishburn. “My coach said, ‘Hey, you are not quite Jimmer. Take a few more steps in. You are not quite him.’”
Fourteen years later, as Fishburn takes his shots at the Sony Open, there is a good chance Jimmer will be watching on television — struck with similar awe by his game. There might also be a few church members in Tennessee looking on with great interest. After all, it was the two years with them that prepared Fishburn not only for his life as a young family man, but also to pursue his dream on the PGA Tour.
So, if you see the former Cougar pause for a moment of reflection after he is called to the first tee in Honolulu, he might just be thinking of the mission call that changed his game for good — and made Fishburn better equipped to take a full swing at life. Whether he keeps the ball in the fairway or hits it into the trees — that’s on him.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.
