Ben Griffin is a late bloomer, but his spot at Bethpage Black later this month is warranted.
The 29-year-old joined the PGA Tour in 2023, and he has wasted little time becoming a force to be reckoned with.
In his first full season, he appeared in 37 events and finished in the top 25 just a dozen times. He made almost $3 million, but it was certainly a grind, as he finished 63rd in the FedEx Cup standings.
Ben Griffin plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images / IMAGN)
Last year was not much better, as he had 13 top-25 finishes in 35 events — but this season, he came on strong.
Griffin played in 28 events this year and found himself near the top of the leaderboard. He earned his first two wins at the Zurich Classic and Charles Schwab Challenge, came in second at The Memorial, and had seven other top-10 finishes, including at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
Ben Griffin, right, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after sinking a par putt to win on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images / IMAGN)
He has made just $16,713,238, the least amount of anyone on Team USA, but $9,990,352 of that came from this year alone. That's the eighth-most of anyone on tour this year.
At the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Griffin's worst finish was T12 at the BMW Championship, where he still managed to bring home $441,000. His win at the Charles Schwab Challenge and second-place finish at the Memorial in back-to-back weeks totaled $3.91 million.
Ben Griffin hits out of a sand trap on the 18th hole during the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images / IMAGN)
Now, Griffin will make his Ryder Cup debut, having never represented the United States at any level of golf before. But it may just be energy never seen before.