SPRINGFIELD, Mo–Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
You know the saying, it’s about finishing second.
Ben Griffin has finished second three times this season on the Korn Ferry Tour.
He could be ready to win a championship, and the Price Cutter Charity Championship may just be the place to do that.
Sometimes all you need is a reset.
A chance to step away and realize what’s important.
“I was completely out of the game. There were a lot of special people who game into my life at the right time,” said Korn Ferry Tour pro Ben Griffin.
A few of those people are members of Highland Springs Country Club and knew that Ben Griffin has what it takes to succeed at professional golf.
Mike Swann played the member-guest tournament with Griffin last summer then challenged the 26-year old.
Griffin:”He said dude you’re so good, you have to do this Monday qualifier. So a year ago, pretty much to this day, I Monday qualified after not touching a club for awhile. It kind of sparked my career back into golf.”
With financial help from his Springfield friends, Griffin qualfied for the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour.
And the North Carolina Tarheel is fourth on the money list after finishing second three times this summer.
How things have changed.
“Now I’ve had the year I’ve had. And a lot of things have changed. But this place, Highland Springs Country Club means a lot. It’s a special palce to me. It’s a fun week. It’s fun to come here all the time. I feel like it’s a second home,” said Griffin.
There’s no pressure on Griffin as he strolls the rolling hills southeast of Springfield.
All those second place finishes helped him lock up his card for the regular PGA Tour.
“I’m excited because for me, I’ve played some events at the highest level on the PGA tour. Some of the guys haven’t so there’s a little anxiety for some of the guys. For me, I feel it’s going to be very comfortable transition from me going from this tour to that tour,” said Griffin.
Because he’s played this course so many times, Griffin knows what it’s going to take to win the $135,000 dollar first place check.
“The more I’m in the fairway, the better chance I’ll have of getting it close to the pins. Hopefully get a hot putter, because that’s what it’s going to take this week to finish on top,” said Griffin.
Golf is a family affair for the Griffins, his father and grandfather played and introduced ben to the game at a young age.
Grandpa was his biggest fan.
And when he died last summer, Ben accepted that challenge to return to the course.
“It was because of my grandpa. In his obituary his quote was to hit it long and straight. So I’ve been trying to do that all year long. It’s been really cool, he’s another reason I came back to golf. Seeing what golf mean to him in his life. I said you know what I’m too good to give it up right now,” said Griffin.
