'Rags-to-Riches' Griffin Now a 17.2 Billion Won Earner

Three Wins This Year, Now Standing with Scheffler and McIlroy
Worked in Real Estate and Mortgage Lending Just Four Years Ago
Joined the Regular PGA Tour in 2023, Delivering Outstanding Performances This Year
Average Driving Distance Surges to 305.1 Yards

There is a player who now stands shoulder to shoulder with world number one Scottie Scheffler of the United States and number two Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland. That player is Ben Griffin, now in his third year on the PGA Tour.

Debuting on the PGA Tour in 2023, Griffin has been on fire this year. After claiming his first career victory at the Zurich Classic in April, he went on to win the Charles Schwab Challenge in May and secured another title at last week's World Wide Technology Championship. Only three players have won three or more times on the PGA Tour this year: Scheffler (six wins), McIlroy, and Griffin (three wins each).

Griffin has a true rags-to-riches story. He was born on May 6, 1996, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His great-grandfather, Ben Shields, was a pitcher in Major League Baseball, playing for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies, making Griffin part of a sports family.

Ben Griffin, who worked at a real estate company, achieved a life turnaround this year by securing three wins. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

He majored in economics at the University of North Carolina while playing golf for the school. Turning professional in 2018, he competed on the PGA Tour Canada and even won in his rookie year. The following year, he briefly quit golf to make ends meet. In 2019, he worked as a property manager at a real estate company in North Carolina, and in 2021, he was a loan officer at a mortgage group in the same area.

But his passion for golf never faded. There is even an anecdote where, dressed in a tie and coat on his way to the office, he accidentally drove toward a golf course instead. Using the money he saved from his regular jobs, he returned to golf. In November 2021, he tied for 29th at the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, and during the 2021-2022 Korn Ferry Tour season, he finished runner-up three times, earning his long-awaited PGA Tour card for 2023.

Until last year, Griffin was an ordinary player worried about keeping his tour card for the next season. This year, everything changed. He achieved the rare feat of winning three times in a single season. Including those three victories, he finished in the top 10 a total of 12 times this year. He qualified for the Tour Championship, the FedExCup finale reserved for only the top 30 performers of the season. Griffin earned $11,724,352 in prize money this year alone.

He also made his debut at the Ryder Cup, the first time he played in the prestigious team competition between the United States and Europe. His victory at the World Wide Technology Championship propelled him to ninth in the world rankings, marking his first entry into the top 10 of his career.

Ben Griffin has grown into a top-tier player this year, leading with a driver distance increase of more than 10 yards. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The most notable change this year has been his average driving distance. Griffin adjusted both his grip and swing, and switched his shot shape to a draw. Last year, his average was 295.6 yards (ranked 136th), but this year it has increased to 305.1 yards (80th), a gain of more than 10 yards in just one year. "There are so many people I need to thank. I feel blessed because so many people have supported me," Griffin said. Once a little-known name, Griffin is now writing a new success story.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.