“When you have an attitude of gratitude, it’s a good mindset.” That’s the philosophy PGA Tour player Patrick Fishburn lives by, and it’s been his compass both on and off the course. Born in Ogden to Steve and Peggy Fishburn, Fishburn’s love for his home soil runs as deep as his passion for the sport. While golf is his career now, it wasn’t always the obvious path for a kid surrounded by sports enthusiasts.
His father, Steve, was a college football player at Weber State, and his two sisters were avid golfers. And while Patrick is also involved in the family’s horse ranching business in Utah and Idaho, it seems sports was always in his DNA. But golf? That wasn’t always the plan. So how did he end up choosing the fairways over, say, the basketball court or the saddle?
How did golf become Patrick Fishburn’s last-stop career?
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Fishburn didn’t start out as “the golfer” in the family. He was a starting point guard for Fremont High’s basketball team and dabbled in weightlifting, fishing, and tennis. But somewhere along the way, golf claimed the top spot on his list.
By 2009, Fishburn was named Utah Junior Golf Player of the Year, and over his amateur career, he racked up an incredible 60 titles across junior, regional, state, and national levels. Impressive, right? But that’s just the beginning. When he turned professional in 2018, he spent most of his time on mini-tours and the Korn Ferry Tour.
The KFT certainly has a special place in his heart. And why not, in 2019, Fishburn became the first player to receive a grant from the Tony Finau Foundation. The $40,000 donation came from Finau, whose foundation received the grant from the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship and Utah Sports Commission. And that’s when he got the boost he very much needed to keep chasing his dreams.
How has been Patrick Fishburn’s golfing career so far?
While Fishburn is still waiting for his first PGA Tour win, his career so far has been nothing short of impressive. Over three full seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, he made 56 cuts and earned seven top-10 finishes—including two runner-up spots and a third-place finish.
As for 2023, it was a breakthrough year for Fishburn as he finished 19th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list, earning himself the PGA Tour card for 2024. As a rookie in 2024, Fishburn proved to be a promising golfer. Out of 25 events, he made 13 cuts and delivered nine top-25 finishes, including three standout performances: T3 at the Procore and Barracuda Championships, T4 at the Zurich Classic, and T6 at the 3M Open.
Currently ranked 104th in the FedEx Cup standings (87th in the Fall rankings) and 127th in the OWGR, Fishburn is inching closer to the elites of the golf world. And with his work ethic and positivity, that first win feels like a matter of when not if.
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Life beyond fairways
Life seems a bit easier when you have a partner to share your joys and sorrows with. For Patrick Fishburn, it’s his wife Madison who he has been married to since 2017. She is a nurse at McKay-Dee Hospital in her hometown of Ogden and has always been by her husband’s side through thick and thin.
The pandemic could have been a frustrating time for Fishburn, as tournaments were canceled, including his beloved Korn Ferry Tour. Instead, he embraced it as an opportunity to focus on family and refine his game. “Everything happens for a reason,” he says. “It was good to be home with her, but it was fun, too, because I was able to play a lot of good matches, and I feel like I made a lot of improvements during the quarantine on my putting.”
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Madison, who completed her nursing degree in 2019, is as dedicated to her husband’s success as she is to her profession. Often spotted cheering for Fishburn on the greens. With a solid resume, a grounded mindset, and a supportive partner, Fishburn has all the ingredients for success. His progress on the PGA Tour signals that his first win might not be far off. For now, his journey is one to watch out for, as this Utah native proves that gratitude, hard work, and family are the ultimate power trio.
What do you think, will Patrick Fishburn claim his first PGA Tour victory soon? Let us know in the comments!
