The story of golf's underdog hero: Ben Griffin's viral journey to PGA Tour triumph
'I love the noise. It's the closest I'll ever get to feeling like an NFL player…" said Ben Griffin, appearing in a popular golf-podcast earlier this year. Griffin, who plays on the US PGA Tour, was responding to a question about the Waste Management Phoenix Open—an event with a reputation for a raucous gallery. 'You've got to embrace the noise. Some guys don't like it…I don't have a problem with it," he added.
Griffin was spot on with the observation of his peers—most pro golfers don't like noisy galleries on the course. On most professional tourneys, a hush descends every time a player is about to hit a shot as course marshals hold up placards asking for silence. In that moment, ripe for disturbance, the inadvertent crack of a twig under someone's foot can sound like a rifle shot. Cue, the collective stares of the gallery. 'You just disrespected the players. You boor."
Obviously, I'm dramatising a bit. But this is pretty much the way things were, at least until the LIV Golf Tour—with its loud music and American sport arena-style atmosphere—came along. The tourney has team events that run concurrently with the individual competition; and that format lends itself more to fans' involvement on the course. But even on LIV Golf, there have been plenty of instances of players lashing out at fans who they deem to have crossed the line. And you can't blame them: golf isn't like football; heck, it's not even like tennis. The players are just not used to it.
Griffin's journey as a pro golfer has been eventful but by no means extraordinary. The game is rife with tales of players' plummeting down the rankings, even exiting the game, and then clawing their way back to the top echelons of the game. Griffin, 29, talented as he was as a young amateur, turned pro in 2018 but was unable to deliver on his promise. In 2020, facing financial strain and dwindling confidence, Griffin stepped away from the game, and took up a position as a loan officer at a residential mortgage company in his hometown. The stark contrast of it: a desk job, staid at best, and the high-flying life of a PGA Tour pro, made Griffin's story, one of more 'shareable", almost 'viral" pieces of golfing goss.
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Griffin didn't disappoint: almost on cue, he wrote the next episode of his life's drama by making a comeback. In 2022, he made it the hard way, fighting his way back to the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour for the 2022 season. And then, perhaps on a whim, or recognising the potential of his story, Griffin embraced social media, cultivating a significant presence on TikTok and Instagram.
His content offered fans an intimate look into the life of a professional golfer, blending behind-the-scenes glimpses with personal insights. His series on how much it costs a professional to play on the PGA Tour became one of the most watched golf content on Tik Tok. Griffin acknowledged the role that fans' support has played; buoying his spirits and helping rebuild his confidence. Sponsors sat up and took notice; fans began recognising and supporting him at events. Griffin's brand equity skyrocketed.
In 2023, Griffin made it back to the PGA Tour and finished second on two occasions (including a playoff loss at the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship).
In May 2024, much to everyone's surprise, Griffin signed up with Maxfli, a golf ball manufacturer that has been absent in pro golf for over two decades. In the 1970s, Maxfli was a tour de force in pro golf with players including Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus and Fred Couples on its roster. At the time Griffin admitted that, 'The (Maxfli) ball is the one that piqued my interest the most. Maybe part of the reason is because it doesn't have a presence (on Tour). It's an opportunity to showcase how good it is. I've done enough testing with it to feel like I'm confident with it out here."
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In April 2025, nearly one year after putting the ball in play, Griffin, teaming up with Andrew Novak, stood over a putt on the penultimate hole of the final day of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Egged on by a loud gallery chanting 'Griff-in!" He sank the 35-footer to break a tie with the Højgaard twins. After two-putting the par-5 18th to seal a one-stroke victory at 28-under par, Griffin turned around and doffed his cap to the gallery. Ben Griffin had won his first PGA Tour event and Maxfli had won its first after 22 years. A classic underdog story if there ever was one.
Meraj Shah is a Delhi-based writer, golfer and television producer.
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