THUNDER BAY – After hitting his drive on the 10th hole on Sunday, Ben Griffin heard a familiar voice cry out.
“Nice drive.”
Griffin turned and grinned.
“I knew you’d be here,” said the 22-year-old Griffin, midway through his fourth and final round at the Staal Foundation Open, his father standing outside the ropes.
Turns out it was well worth the flight from North Carolina to Minnesota and the seven-hour drive to Thunder Bay.
The younger Griffin, just six weeks into his Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada career, fired a spectacular 8-under 64, including a tricky up-and-down for birdie on the 18th, to capture the tournament, his first win as a professional.
Griffin did it in record-setting fashion, his 22-under 266 total smashing the previous record of 270, jointly held by Taylor Moore and J.J. Spaun.
“I had a weird feeling this morning, because he texted me good luck kind of earlier than he normally does. So I had a feeling he might be coming to support. It was really cool. I turned to the left and saw him. It was a lot of emotions, but it was pretty cool to have him celebrating with me,” said Griffin, who used the inspiration to score six birdies on the back nine, three in a row to start and three more in a row to finish.
“It feels incredible. In only six weeks. I didn’t expect it to come this soon, but I’m beyond thrilled and to have done it at such a great venue and with the community like this around, it’s pretty incredible.”
Griffin won $36,000 for his efforts and jumped into third on the Order of Merit with $49,186 in 2018, behind Zach Wright and George Cunningham.
A University of North Carolina graduate, Griffin said he had no idea where he stood on the leader board, but knew sinking his three-and-a-half foot birdie putt would put him in a good spot.
“I had no mindset, just that it was a normal left-edge putt. I just had to trust it. I didn’t look at the scores. I had no idea it was to win. I think it’s better that way. I probably would have been shaking a little more,” Griffin said.
The putt dropped and ended Canadian Riley Wheeldon’s dreams of a second Mackenzie Tour title, settling for solo second, one shot back.
Wheeldon, who helped christen the tournament when it was first announced in 2013, enjoyed a bogey-free, eight-birdie day in carding a 64, taking the lead late in the round until Griffin’s late flourish dropped him to second.
The 27-year-old Komox, B.C native earned his second top-10 finish of the season, took home top Canadian honours and jumped to ninth on the money list.
“(Ben) must have had a hell of a finish, so hat’s off to him,” Wheeldon said. “So I’ll take it.”
The win was worth $21,600 and Wheeldon is now ninth on the Order of Merit after making his fourth cut in six starts this season.
Third-round leader Blake Olson got it to 19-under early in his round, after a pair of birdies, but bogeyed three of his final five holes to settle for a tie for 10th, six strokes off the pace.
He’s disappointed, after holding the 36- and 54-hole leads, but said it is what it is.
“I played solid for three days and today I just didn’t hit it as well as I needed to to win. A lot of guys were making birdies early – and even late. Ben played great,” Olson said.
The tournament raised more than $181,000 for local charities, pushing its five-year total past $1 million.
