Ben Griffin finds silver lining in close call at Butterfield Bermuda

Winning on the PGA TOUR is hard.

Sunday afternoon in Bermuda, rookie Ben Griffin experienced that firsthand.

The mortgage loan officer-turned-TOUR pro had done exactly what he needed to do in chase of his first TOUR title at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. After assuming a share of the 54-hole lead alongside Seamus Power, Griffin made four birdies in his first six holes Sunday to move in front. He responded after a bogey at No. 8 with quick post-turn birdies on Nos. 10 and 11.

But as winds whipped at Port Royal GC, Griffin met his learning curve. He made four consecutive bogeys on Nos. 12-15 – including a hooked tee shot and unplayable on the par-4 14th – followed by a costly hooked tee shot into a penalty area on the long par-3 16th en route to double bogey. He finished with a 1-over 72 and 17-under total, two back of Seamus Power’s winning total.

For some, it could have marked a devastating defeat. But Griffin has maintained poise in all situations throughout his golf journey, and Sunday was no different. He expressed appreciation for the opportunity in a post-round interview on the 18th green Sunday, thanked all those who have helped him to this point, and vowed to learn from the experience.

“Every single time I’m competing out here, I’m trying to learn and gain as much as I can from each and every round, so I can be better moving forward,” said Griffin, who moves to No. 25 on the season-long FedExCup standings. “I’m very comfortable out here … honestly, I need to be almost a little less comfortable in certain situations, because I need to make sure I’m executing and being confident with my swings. I just let a couple get loose and I missed it on the wrong side on a few holes down the stretch, would short-side myself downwind with chips and couldn't get it close.

“I just put myself in too many difficult spots to come out as the champion this week.”

The North Carolina native choked up as he thought about his unique path in this game, including time away in early 2021 after a few years of pent-up frustration developed across missed cuts on smaller tours. He needed a break. He got it by trading in the clubs for a day job.

But after competing in a local qualifier for the 2021 U.S. Open, and advancing to Final Qualifying, the bug gradually returned (despite not qualifying for the U.S. Open proper). There was a day when he meant to drive to the office and accidentally pulled into the golf course parking lot. There were the memories of his late grandfather Douglas, one of his biggest fans, who hailed from Hickory, North Carolina and often tracked the scores of Hickory native J.T. Poston on TOUR. Douglas would often remind his grandson that he wanted to follow his scores, too.

Griffin signed up for 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Q-School and advanced through First Stage, Second Stage and Final Stage to earn guaranteed starts in 2022. He recorded back-to-back runner-up finishes this spring en route to a top-10 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List and a PGA TOUR card via The 25.

It has been a magic carpet ride of sorts for the 26-year-old, and a tough closing sequence in Bermuda isn’t going to slow him down.

Rather, it just might accelerate his ascent.

“Playing golf for a living’s just really fun,” Griffin said. “It just means the world to be able to compete out here, and I can’t get mad at anything I do, because it’s so cool to be able to compete on the PGA TOUR.”