THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2023

Ben Griffin

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize the round? Nice finish to the round those last two holes.

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, I finished really strong. The greens as you get late in the day, especially when they get fast and firm, they can get a little spiky and hard to read. It was nice to make a couple from off the green on 7 and 8 and knock it on in two on 9 to finish the round.

Pretty solid round. I got it out of position a couple times and was able to scramble and save pars to keep the momentum going, and yeah, just icing on the cake with three in a row to finish the round and move into tomorrow.

Q. Your first time playing this event. Did nobody tell you it's not supposed to be in easy in the afternoon on this golf course?

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, I mean, I don't really listen to a lot of the stuff. I just kind of go out and play and have fun. That's what it's all about. This course can beat people up, and as long as I've got a smile on my face, regardless if I make birdie or bogey, it's going to help my golf game. So I kind of kept the pedal down and kept having fun and fortunately things went my way.

Q. What experience did you have here before this week?

BEN GRIFFIN: Junior PLAYERS. I played in it I believe twice when I was a kid, so I haven't really played here but maybe one time since I was 17. So it's been a while.

But I like the course. It rewards good golf, and it's definitely a tough test. I was off the fairway by about a foot -- off the first cut by about a foot on 7 and had a nasty lie. If you're just off a little bit, it'll bite you.

As you can tell, there's good scores to be made out there if you're hitting it really well, but it can bite you fast.

Yeah, as for my experience, I don't really have a ton. I just went out and tried to make a lot of birdies and have fun.

Q. Was there anything you learned at the Junior PLAYERS that you've taken into this week or so long ago you're not --

BEN GRIFFIN: Not that I can remember. I mean, that's almost 10 years, which is crazy to think, that 10 years ago I was 17, but that's how life goes.

No, I just kind of just had a good day. I actually have a bad memory from the Junior PLAYERS because I was in one of the last two groups the final round I think the first year I was here, and my ball got stuck in a tree just short of the green on No. 1, those overhanging palms, so that's actually my only memory from the event.

So it's pretty bad, but it's an awesome place. I remember from the event going into the locker room and thinking it's the coolest thing to be in the PGA TOUR locker room and play ping-pong in there with other kids.

To be here now is just a dream come true, to actually be on the PGA TOUR and playing here.

Q. What were your expectations like coming into this week?

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, I mean, pretty high. Coming off a pretty decent week at Bay Hill, I didn't think I was as close as I was to winning, but I only lost by five. Against a field like that, that was one of the strongest fields I've competed against in professional golf. So to gain confidence from that, finished 14th. I was sneaky in the mix, so coming in here, it's the same field, it's the same players, it's just me versus the golf course. If I play well, I know my name is going to be up there.

Q. Could you have imagined a year or two ago playing in fields like you played in last week and this week?

BEN GRIFFIN: No, but I could imagine a homeowner going under contract and we had to finance a loan. That's about it.

Two years ago I was working a desk job almost, so it's just a dream come true to be playing on the PGA TOUR. Very blessed to have the sponsors that I do to have helped me get back to where I am, and yeah, to make a push like this is just awesome.

Q. What was the day job two years ago?

BEN GRIFFIN: I was a loan officer, so I was financing homes, residential mortgages from I guess the end of March, beginning of April until end of July, beginning of August of 2021. I got through Korn Ferry Q-school last year, got through Korn Ferry TOUR, and now I'm on the PGA TOUR and making a run. So I have a nice perspective of having worked a desk job. It helps me out there have fun because I know at the end of the day like I'm just blessed to be playing golf.