Ryder Cup star quit golf before Charles Schwab | Golf News

Ben Griffin made a spectacular transition from mortgage broker to PGA Tour winner in just 4 years.

Last 12 months, Griffin loved a exceptional breakout season that actually took off with his victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. He claimed the $1.7 million prize, securing the PGA Tour win with a 1-over fourth spherical to edge out Matthias Schmid.

Having also claimed the Zurich Classic alongside Andrew Novak, Griffin’s victories represented an extraordinary turnaround. Back in 2021, he walked away from golf to pursue a profession as a mortgage broker – and after getting his arms on the long-lasting Scottish Royal Tartan Plaid jacket, Griffin opened up about his unimaginable journey. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has been dealt an pointless blow on top of rehab and comeback.

“Ben, success often takes a long time that can happen all at once,” CBS’ Amanda Balionis said. “You were a mortgage broker in 2021. In the last month, you are now a two-time PGA Tour champion, this one on your own. That finish was not easy, talk me through what was going through your mind.”

Griffin replied: “In my head, I was thinking Matty might make that, fortunately I had that four-footer and I felt pretty good over it. Left edge and just trust it. Awesome to get my second win, so many people to thank, so many people in my corner. I’m very blessed.”

The 30-year-old later competed in the Ryder Cup, representing Team USA against Team Europe at Bethpage Black. This marks a dramatic turnaround from his earlier mindset; Griffin had beforehand acknowledged that stress and varied pressures, including $15,000 in credit debt, had turn out to be overwhelming.

The victory at Fort Worth offered validation of Griffin’s expertise quite than serving as redemption. He explained: “I didn’t redeem myself for anything. But definitely validation. It’s really nice to get the validation.

“Some weeks you get validation with a top 10. Some weeks it is the top 5. Some weeks, perhaps it is a made cut if you’re grinding through one thing and it is a difficult course, but successful is an unimaginable feeling. Words cannot actually describe what it looks like.”

During the opening of the 2025 season, amid an impressive stretch of performances that included contending in multiple tournaments and capturing the Zurich title, Griffin disclosed he had been subjected to online harassment. However, his victory silenced his critics.

“You know social media. I strive not to look. I actually do not let a lot of something on social media get to me because it is the Wild West,” Griffin stated. “Social media is an unimaginable platform to share moments with people all over the place, and I just noticed some people questioning my means to win particular person tournaments or the Zurich would not depend, the Zurich should not be a PGA TOUR event, stuff like that. I just used that as fuel. It’s fairly enjoyable.

“I didn’t care that much that people felt that way. I feel like if I was someone on social media maybe trolling a little bit, maybe it makes sense. I haven’t won individually. I’m just proud that I was able to be the last man standing this week. Now I can silence some people.”

Griffin returns to compete in the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge, where he’ll attempt to retain his title. The event kicks off on Thursday, May 28, and wraps up on Sunday, May 31.