AUSTIN (Texas) — Ben Griffin remembers the rush of adrenaline he felt after a successful day at work.
It’s not surprising, as the 26-year old North Carolinian will compete for $3.6 million at the World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play event at Austin Country Club.
This highly motivated, deliberate person was talking about his past job.
Griffin was, as you can see, a loan officer at CIMG Residential Mortgage in Chapel Hill for more than a year.
After a difficult start on the Korn Ferry Tour, he was able to pay his bills by doing this.
Griffin, who was speaking from Georgia, said that the biggest thrill of his life was locking in a rate for someone. He then flew to Texas on Monday night. “We would get the (interest rates) posted each morning at 11 a.m. from the North Carolina banks. If I could find a rate that would drop an eighth percent over what I had told the customer the previous day, then that’d be the best adrenaline you can get.
Griffin traded so high to compete as a full-fledged PGA Tour member. He first thanked the Missouri backers and CEO Doug Sieg from Lord Abbett’s investment management firm Lord Abbett for sponsoring him to sign up for Q-school, then he finished second on Korn Ferry the following season.
He is proud of his two top-10 finishes in 19 PGA events, since he secured his card.
Griffin stated, “I would go from a cubicle alone, and my new desk at the Players Championship was the first Tee with 5,000 people watching.” That’s where perspective comes in. It’s a lot easier now. But I knew from the beginning that I was capable of playing against some of the greatest players in the world. I played junior golf, and I had a successful college career.
On Tour, but not quite yet living Tour life
He has gone from refinancing houses to building a home for him on the PGA Tour. It’s sort of.
He is single and frugal to the point that he has not sought to lower his home rates. Even though he has $1.7 million in savings, he still hasn’t bought a house. He’s frugal, but we didn’t say that.
For now, he’ll be living in his $2,000-a-month apartment on St. Simons Island in Georgia to save money. He will drive his silver C300 Mercedes-Benz, which he previously leased, with 90,000 mile “until its death.” He loves the courtesy cars that the PGA Tour provides.
He said, “I want to win because winning is good for my job security.” “But I know exactly where I came. “I feel so lucky to be playing.”
He was a rookie and has yet to win, but he placed third at Bermuda. He also finished a respectable 14th at Arnold Palmer Invitational. He has risen rapidly to No. He is currently ranked No.77 in the world, and No. 37 in the FedEx Cup standings, and openly discusses cracking the top 50 or qualifying for the Masters in just two weeks.
He said, “I should have won at Bermuda,” but he didn’t. “I had nine putts within 15 feet at the Players. I missed one that was just a touch off the edge. I can’t wait to see half of them go down. There’s still plenty of fuel left. If I do the right things, I can move up 20, 30, or more spots. Although I am not the most flashy golfer, I can still be a good gamer and grinder. ”
Priorities: “I was golf, and golf, and golf.”
However, a win is on the horizon. Make no doubt.
Griffin is obsessed with winning. Griffin is largely self-taught. He picked up the game during those long summer days at Chapel Hill Country Club, where he was dropped off at daylight and picked back up at night. “I was always playing golf, and golf, and golf. “If I wasn’t playing, I was looking at golf balls.”
That speaks volumes about his independence.
He was a confident young man, who booked his own travel to tournaments when he was 15 years old and stayed in hotels by himself at 16 despite knowing it was illegal. He is a good golfer and enjoys being around older players at country clubs.
As one would expect from someone who has a degree as an economist at the University of North Carolina where he was a two-time Honorable Mention All-American, he is incredibly intelligent. He is often contacted by fellow golfers for financial advice.
Griffin is a great person to ask. After struggling to make any money, and getting tired of the financial pinch, Griffin was sharp enough not to continue playing golf.
He never believed his career would end.
He said, “Not at all.” It was more of a complete burnout. Three years of no or negligible income were my experience. I was 24, going on 25, and relied on others. I told myself that I couldn’t do it. I want to do everything on my own. It was horrible. It was something I knew I had no choice but to quit golf.”
He was a property manager in residential real estate for his father before becoming a loan officer, like his mother. It was a good business. He was prospering, refinancing clients’ mortgages at a rate of 2.75% on fixed 30-year contracts. This was before interest rates soared to the 7s.
Griffin said that Re-fi’s were “the hot thing” on the market, and he was constantly looking at spreadsheets for as much as 12 hours per day.
He knew he would return to golf, because he was talented and had a lot confidence in himself. He does, even in this star-studded event, where he’s with Tyrrell Hatton (16th ranked golfer worldwide).
He doesn’t have his name, but he does have the game.
Griffin stated, “I’ve been playing golf all my life.” “I’m familiar with Scottie Scheffler. I played against him.” We are about the same age. I’m not surprised to see his progress and that he can catch me if I do the right things. I can make a lot of putts, and anyone would probably say that they wish they could putt like me.
Griffin played a round of ACC last fall when he was on a rare week-off and joined his girlfriend in Austin to celebrate her friend’s birthday. He played a round of ACC in the mid-60s. He enjoys the match-play format and the course.
Griffin stated that he “kind of snuck into the field with some help (those ineligible golfers) who went to LIV.” “I have to beat seven people in match play, whereas in a normal week, I would have to beat 155. I will play here, then drive down to San Antonio for the tournament, and maybe then have a tee-time at the Masters.
“If I win a match and get out of my group, I would make it to the final eight. I could jump from 77th place to the top 50 and have a good shot.”
He is a skilled putter who can easily navigate the green. He’s straight enough to allow him to take good approach shots.
He said, “I don’t fear to take on someone of very high caliber,”
Although he isn’t a very goal-oriented person, he’s determined to get there. He won’t indulge in splurges, even if he wins.
“I don’t want to spend money on nice things. Watches are not something I care about. He laughed and said that he might get a new car but would need a garage to install it. “But if it won, I’d put the money in my bank account. I am FDIC-insured hopefully.
