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⛳️ From Mortgage Broker to PGA Tour Hero
Ben Griffin’s win had it all: hot start, epic collapse, and a clutch 4-footer to silence the haters.
Happy Valley Golf Team
May 26, 2025
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Here’s what we’ve got for you today:
Watch this quick driver fix: A simple right-arm move = straighter bombs off the tee.
He quit golf to sell mortgages… Then won $1.7 million under crazy pressure.
Trivia time: Think you know golf history? Today’s question will test you.
Fleetwood heartbreak (again): 41 top 10s, still no PGA Tour win. Golf gods, c’mon.
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Golf Trivia
Which golfer won both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship in 1977, earning the nickname “The Duel at Turnberry” after a legendary battle with Jack Nicklaus? |
The Grind That Paid Off
Ben Griffin just proved that sometimes the best comeback stories happen when nobody's watching. The 29-year-old American grabbed his first individual PGA Tour win at the Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday, but not without some serious drama at Colonial Country Club.
The Ultimate Redemption Arc
Here's a stat that'll blow your mind: Griffin literally quit professional golf in 2021 to become a mortgage broker. Fast forward to 2025, and this guy has now won two PGA Tour events in five weeks – first the team Zurich Classic in April, and now his first solo victory worth a cool $1.71 million.
Griffin started Sunday tied with Germany's Matti Schmid at 13-under, but came out absolutely scorching. Eagle on the first hole, birdie on the second – boom, three-shot lead just like that. By the time he reached the fifth hole, he was sitting pretty with a five-shot cushion.
But here's where it gets spicy: Griffin then proceeded to play the remaining 16 holes at 4-over par. Talk about making it interesting.
The Final Round Thriller
The weather wasn't doing anyone any favours – 30 mph wind gusts and temperatures hitting 94 degrees made Colonial play like a different beast. Griffin's lead kept shrinking as he made back-to-back bogeys on holes 6-7, then another bogey on the par-3 13th.
Enter Matti Schmid with the shot of the tournament. On the 72nd hole, needing birdie to tie, Schmid chipped in from the deep rough behind the green. Suddenly Griffin, standing in a bunker and choking down on his club for his own chip shot, had to make a 4-foot par putt just to win6.
He drained it. Game over.
The Numbers Game
Griffin's final score of 12-under par might not sound earth-shattering, but context is everything. This was only the fourth time this season someone's won multiple PGA Tour events, joining Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka, and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Speaking of Scheffler – the three-time major winner was going for his third straight victory after winning the PGA Championship last week, but came up short with a T4 finish at 8-under. Sometimes even the best players in the world need a reality check.
What This Win Actually Means
Beyond the seven-figure payday, Griffin just locked up some serious perks:
First-ever Masters invitation for 2026
Jumped to No. 5 in the FedEx Cup standings
Guaranteed spot in the Tour Championship (top 30 qualify)
Two-year PGA Tour exemption
Not bad for a guy who was processing mortgage applications three years ago. Griffin used some social media hate as fuel too, mentioning he saw comments questioning whether his team win "counted" and that the Zurich Classic "shouldn't be a PGA Tour event".
"It's nice to silence some people," Griffin said after his win.
The Supporting Cast
Matti Schmid pocketed $1.035 million for second place – not exactly chump change for the 27-year-old German still searching for his first Tour win. Bud Cauley rounded out the podium in third at 9-under, earning $655,500.
Tommy Fleetwood continues his maddening near-miss streak, finishing T4 with his 41st top-10 finish on Tour without a victory. At some point, the golf gods have to throw this guy a bone, right?
The win moves Griffin into elite company and proves that sometimes the most circuitous routes lead to the sweetest destinations. From mortgage broker to multiple Tour winner in four years? That's a masterclass in never giving up on your dreams.
Next up: The Memorial Tournament in Ohio, where Griffin will tee it up as a bona fide star.
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Thanks for reading!
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Cody.