U.S. Ryder Cup team member Ben Griffin final presser at Procore!

U.S. Ryder Cup member final press conference from Procore!

 

Questions: Ben, how would you describe that round today? It looked like it was pretty steady but was there a different feeling to it today?

 

BEN GRIFFIN: I got off to a great start birdieing the first three, kind of gave me some Charles Schwab final round vibes. Got off to a great start and was kind of struck in neutral for a while. Felt like I was giving myself a lot of decent looks, not great looks. Made some pretty easy pars. Down the stretch I hit some ‑‑ had a mix of great putts that I hit and a mix of some missed kind of five‑, six‑footers that you’ve got to make when you’re trying to win. That’s a bummer, didn’t make some of those. I’ll get back to work and start making more of these inside six feet.

 

Questions: That 18th hole hasn’t been kind to you on the weekend. Would you like to play that again a couple times?

 

BEN GRIFFIN:  I don’t really think of it that way. I just try to hit good shots. There’s a lot of hard holes I play, a lot of easy holes I play. I mean, I’ll get 18 back if I have a chance at some point in my career, otherwise it’s all good. I gave myself a good chance.

 

I was trying to make eagle – putt was just a little slower than I expected. I don’t know if I hit my line on the last, but I looked up and it looked like it was breaking pretty good to the left and I tried to play it straighter to right center. It’s tough late in the day. Again, I said it yesterday, late in the day on poa annua greens you’re just trying to put a good stroke on it and see what happens. I felt like just wasn’t quite as sharp from short range as I needed to be, but I’ll get to work this next week and hopefully make every single one of them at the Ryder Cup.

 

Question: You have a very admirable positive attitude, had a couple of wins this year but you’ve been on the back end of it too a couple of times, a couple of runner‑ups, and this is the third one this season. Does this one sting a little more or is it not as frustrating?

 

BEN GRIFFIN: Anytime you finish second it sucks, but I’m so grateful to be playing golf, so grateful to have opportunities down the stretch. I just need to execute a little bit better.

 

Every time I finish second I feel like I’ve learned something. I just really got to make more of those five‑, six‑footers on Sundays. Those are the ones that help you win the tournament.

 

I had a couple on the front nine that I missed, and then I had a couple down the stretch that I missed from mid range. I make a good amount. It’s just a bummer, seems like it’s a consistent thing. I’ll look at it, I’ll watch all my ‑‑ there’s my putt, yeah, just broke a little bit. Shit happens, I’ll bounce back.

 

Question: How hard is it when the World No. 1’s doing that on the leaderboard?

 

BEN GRIFFIN: Well, you know, you expect it. I knew I needed to shoot a lower round. Just the fact that I had a chance shooting 2 under, 3 under, I honestly thought I needed to go a little bit lower today. He’s a hell of a player, he’s got the resume that’s better than pretty much everyone here. He’s just like every other player, everyone can beat everyone, you’ve just got to play better.

 

Question: He obviously got off to that great start. Was it as simple as you said, some of those 50/50 putts, or did something feel off down that stretch?

 

BEN GRIFFIN: No, it felt great off the start, even felt great kind of middle of the round. Just the cards just weren’t aligned. I hit some putts that I thought I hit decent putts that didn’t fall. I still made some five‑, six‑footers. I think I just left myself way too many of them. You need to either convert those or make a few more from mid range.

 

It’s all good, I’ll get to work, I’ll look at things and I’ll practice hard this week and make sure I’m ready for the Ryder Cup.

 

Question: How different are things for you now? This happens, and you have two wins this year, you finished second a few times. Like this is no longer some horribly deflating thing, I’m sure. Is there any difference in just how you feel in that sense, this is your normal being in these positions?

 

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, it’s nice. I just feel like I’ve grown so much as a player to put myself in the positions I have this season. It stings anytime you don’t win, but it’s not from a lack of effort. I was pushing hard down the stretch, great putts on 16 and 17, either one of those could have easily dropped, and 18 I was trying to make eagle and win it outright because I didn’t want to take him on in a playoff, I wanted to go ahead and do it. Just a bummer to finish that way. It happens. Not everyone’s a robot like Scottie, I guess.