Lanto Griffin wins on fourth playoff hole at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship
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Written by Staff
PRATTVILLE, Alabama – Trailing by a stroke on the 72nd hole of the tournament, Lanto Griffin stuck it to five feet before converting a tying birdie and reach a playoff with Robby Shelton at 15-under 273. After both players made pars on the first three holes of the playoff (18-18-9), Griffin stuck it to two feet for a tap-in birdie and his second career Web.com Tour title.
“You put so much work in and there’s so many days and weeks that things don’t click,” said Griffin. “You wonder if you’re going to get back into that situation to have a chance. Just being in contention, I texted my coach last night that I hit it terrible yesterday and my swing felt awful, but my putting came back…I made all of the putts I needed to.”
Griffin posted four front-nine birdies at The Senator Course and led by two at one point early, but seven pars and a bogey on the back nine led up to Griffin’s dramatic closing birdie to tie. His final-round 68 was his fourth round in the 60s all week, the only player to accomplish the feat at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship.
The 30-year-old credited legend Vijay Singh with a putting tip last week on the practice green at TPC Sawgrass to his improved play around the greens.
“I was putting on the back green and Vijay yells out to me from 20 yards away and said ‘get your right elbow in tighter and bend over more,’” said Griffin. “Of course I said ‘yes sir,’ and he came over and helped me for a couple of minutes…He told me after that to go win this week, so big shout out to him. That was cool. Especially from a legend. I don’t think people realize how good Vijay was. He won nine times in 2004. When a legend like that tells you something, you have to pay attention.”
The impromptu putting lesson came on Saturday morning during the Masters, a day after Singh missed the cut in Augusta.
While Vijay wasn’t shy about offering advice, Griffin’s girlfriend, Maya, hid from him all afternoon as he remained in contention. She flew in this morning and surprised him as he walked off the 18th as a champion.
“I was completely blindsided; I had no idea,” said Griffin. “It will be fun to celebrate tonight. The last time I won was in Nashville, and that was the first week we were dating. It was hard doing the ceremony back then and the speeches to give her a shout out because I wasn’t even sure if she wanted to date me longer than that week. Luckily now we’re a lot more solid.”
Griffin placed well in several statistical categories throughout the week. He finished fifth in driving distance (304 yards per) and T2 in greens in regulation (59/72, 82%). The win is the second of the year for Virginia Commonwealth University alumni; Griffin joins former teammate Rafael Campos as 2019 champions (The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic).
With the win, Griffin jumps to ninth on the Web.com Tour points list after beginning the week 93rd.
Robby Shelton, who led or co-led after each of the first three rounds, fell on the fourth hole of the playoff after four pars. Shelton was a local crowd favorite after growing up in the state and competing across the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail as a junior golfer. The 23-year-old is a former All-American at the University of Alabama. With the solo-second finish, Shelton jumps to 12th on the Web.com Tour points list.