I just won $1.6m on the PGA Tour but plan to continue 'mooching' off my parents
The PGA Tour's latest winner, Joe Highsmith, spoke to GolfMagic ahead of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational at famed Bay Hill.
Joe Highsmith says he plans to continue saving money by living with his parents despite recently picking up a cheque for $1.6m on the PGA Tour.
Highsmith snagged the biggest payday of his career so far last Sunday when he won the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
His mother Ann was on her way to the airport but had to turn round and hotfoot it back to PGA National's Champion Course when it was apparent her 24-year-old son was on the verge of a remarkable victory.
She made it to the course just in time as Highsmith tapped in at the 72nd hole to card a 64 and win by two strokes.
Despite the win, Highsmith has not thought about moving out yet and plans to continue 'mooching off' his parents.
"Maybe down the road I'll get a place soon enough," Highsmith told GolfMagic before the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
"But right now I'm still trying to save as much money as I can.
"I've got a nice set-up now, living in La Quinta in Seattle. I don't know, maybe that will change soon enough. I'm obviously quite busy on the road a lot."
The golfer added: "They've [my parents] been so great with me. A lot of the time they've been great about just leaving me with the house out in the desert and my dad's still working up north.
"But during the winter offseason, usually the whole family is down there which is great, but yeah they don't ask too much out of me which is nice because I'm still mooching off of them."
Highsmith's victory brought a number of perks, such as starts in all five of the remaining signature events of the 2025 season.
He'll also be in the fields at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and will make his Masters debut.
Unsurprisingly, his phone hasn't stopped buzzing with congratulatory texts.
Highsmith told us he still has at least 400 messages that he hasn't opened yet.
"I've got to do my best to get back to everyone," he said.
"I appreciate it all but it's been tough to manage new stuff like interviews and attention.
"It's been tough but it's all been great. I'm so grateful. I don't want to take any of this for granted. It's pretty special to be in this position right now."
Fred Couples told me how to handle the moment
Highsmith's caddie is the son of Couples' former looper Joe LaCava.
The former Masters champion has no doubt acted as a mentor to Highsmith given the connection.
Highsmith told us he sent Couples a text the night before the final round in Palm Beach.
"I was asking him, 'Do you got anything for me tomorrow?'
"And he said, 'You need to stay focused on yourself, don't pay attention to what other people are doing, get into your own stuff and just focus on yourself.'
"Thankfully I was able to do that really well on Sunday so it was great to have that kind of helpful advice from a person like Fred, with what he's accomplished over his career. I felt lucky to get that insight from him.
"I know he was so pumped and I know he's always tuned in when I'm playing. It's special to have that relationship and have built it over the years."
It wasn't just Couples that was delighted for Highsmith.
World No.2 Rory McIlroy and multiple PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon even offered kind words to the golfer here on the range at Bay Hill.
"I was fortunate to just talk with Rory and Brad Faxon and they've been just so complimentary of what I was able to do and it really means a lot," he said.
"These are both guys that I've really looked up to my whole life, so coming from them, it's just really special. Even to be playing in this field is amazing."
Joe Highsmith was speaking to GolfMagic for the Beyond the Clubhouse podcast.
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