Lanto Griffin's special connection with The Greenbrier

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – To say Lanto Griffin was at a crossroads would have been an understatement.

The year was 2014. Griffin had a mere $176 in his bank account. His credit cards were maxed out. He’d missed the cut in the last six mini-tour events he’d played.

Several months before what is now known as A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was to be played, though, Griffin had talked to his friend, Willy Wilcox. He suggested Wilcox go play in the tournament, he’d caddie and the two could stay at a cabin in the mountains owned by his surrogate mom and dad.

“He was like, absolutely, let's do it,” Griffin recalled. And as it turned out, the two were a pretty good team.

Wilcox tied for fourth, which was his best finish of the year, seven strokes behind the winner, Angel Cabrera, and won just over $227,000. More importantly, he paid Griffin roughly $17,000 which enabled him to continue to chase his dream.

“I was about done,” Griffin said. “I was about ready to give it up. I didn't have any money left, so that kind of gave me a cushion.”

Five years later, the well-traveled Griffin is back at The Greenbrier to begin his second season on the PGA TOUR. The lanky 31-year-old is in contention, too, just like Wilcox was in 2014.

Griffin is tied at 8 under, just five strokes off the pace set by Scottie Scheffler, Robby Shelton and Joaquin Niemann. He followed up an opening 64 with a round of 2 under that included three straight birdies on the front and a lone bogey on the back.

Griffin grew up in Blacksburg, Va., which is about an hour and 45 minutes from The Greenbrier. His father ran a health food store there and his mom was an organic gardener. He went to school at Virginia Commonwealth and is definitely among the favorites of the galleries at the resort this week.

This week, Griffin is staying at that same cabin where he and Wilcox stayed five years ago. He’s got plenty of company with more than a dozen friends and family on hand. After hitting some balls on the range Friday afternoon, he planned to put the outdoor pizza oven to good work later that evening.

“I will have plenty of distractions,” Griffin said. “I won’t be thinking about golf, which is great,”

Griffin said he learned a lot being inside the ropes at The Old White TPC with Wilcox in 2014. He went on to caddie for Wilcox two times later in the year during what is now known as the Korn Ferry Tour Finals before Griffin headed off to play PGA TOUR LatinoAmerica.

“it was fun being inside the ropes, watching somebody play really well,” Griffin said. “… I learned more that week caddying for him than I ever had playing in a week just because seeing it from a different perspective.

“He didn't over analyze anything, and he didn't get to the course two hours early; we got here 45 minutes early and we left as soon as he was done. So, you know, it was one of those things where you learn, you don't need to overdo it and, and you can hit bad shots and still be all right.”

Bad shots have been few and far between this week at The Greenbrier. Griffin has made nine birdies, one eagle and just three bogeys. Through two rounds he’s hit 21 of 28 fairways, 27 of 36 greens in regulation and used just 56 putts.

Griffin, who won the Robert Trent Jones Golf Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour last season on the way to regaining his TOUR card, is a long way from scraping it around on the mini-tours like the eGolf Tour and the Swing Thought Tour.

“Those were good memories,” Griffin said. “It makes you appreciate free food and no entry fees and all that stuff. I think it kind of humbles you a little bit to look back on that and kind of appreciate where you are now.”