 |
Unexpected turn
Four years ago, Griffin quietly left the professional golf scene. Unable to make a living from his passion, he turned to a more stable job: real estate brokerage - following in his mother's footsteps.
But life sometimes takes unexpected turns. One morning, in a suit on his way to the office, Griffin accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up on… a golf course.
“It was the luckiest slice of my life,” Griffin said, likening the wrong turn to a shot that missed the target but opened up a second chance for a career that seemed to have ended.
   |
And Griffin did not miss that opportunity.
Last weekend, at Colonial Country Club (Fort Worth, Texas), Griffin won the Charles Schwab Challenge - his second PGA Tour title in 2025, and his second win in just his last five appearances.
Before that, he and Andrew Novak won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team tournament.
With his latest win, Griffin’s 2025 earnings total will reach $4.9 million, while his career earnings on the PGA Tour will surpass $11.6 million—a staggering sum for someone who once considered a career in loan writing.
   |
Take it one step at a time
“It’s crazy,” Griffin laughed. “Last week I hadn’t even made the cut in a major. And then I finished T8 at the PGA Championship. I was in a tie for second, just a few shots behind Scottie Scheffler going into the back nine.”
“Golf is like that, things can change so quickly,” he continued. “I went from not playing anywhere to getting on the Korn Ferry Tour. Every step, every little step, helped me move up. Now I’m showing that I can compete with the best.”
But his first individual victory on the PGA Tour was not easy. Griffin started the final round perfectly with an eagle and birdie to take a 3-shot lead, even extending the gap to 5 shots at one point.
However, the heavy pressure made him make 4 bogeys in the remaining 16 holes. Everything was only decided after a dramatic par save at the par 4 18th hole, under great pressure from Matti Schmid, the German golfer who played well in the final round.
Due to strong winds, Griffin and Schmid both missed the green on the 18th hole. While Schmid hit a left-side downhill shot, almost a straight shot away from birdie, Griffin was in the bunker. He also played quite well, hitting the ball to within 4 feet of the flag.
Schmid created a magical moment when he scored a birdie that sent the crowd into a frenzy. But Griffin kept his cool and successfully saved the par putt.
Shooting a 71 (+1) in the final round, Griffin finished with a total score of (-12), creating a gap of just one stroke over Schmid. “It felt like whack-a-mole,” Griffin said humorously. “I held the wedge very short, close to the shaft. In my head, I thought Matti was going to make a birdie, so I tried to hit the ball to a distance that I was really confident about.”
  |
Griffin and Schmid created a thrilling chase in the final holes. |
'Not redemption but affirmation'
Griffin doesn't see this as a redemption arc for his career failures, but rather a strong affirmation that he belongs in the sport .
“I don’t think I need to atone for anything,” Griffin said. “It’s a validation. It’s great to be recognized. Sometimes just a week in the top 10, top 5, or just making the cut on a tough course is enough to feel like you’re validating yourself. But winning is an incomparable feeling.”
“There are no words to describe the feeling of being the last man standing on the 18th green. I've felt it twice in the past month. And I want to feel it many more times," Griffin said.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/ben-griffin-va-cuoc-hoi-sinh-su-nghiep-golf-kho-tin-post1745596.tpo
Comment (0)