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HOUSTON — No one has made more starts on the PGA Tour in 2025 than Ben Griffin. He's adding another tally to his resume this week.
When the 28-year-old tees off Thursday morning at the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open, he'll make his 12th consecutive start. Griffin didn't play in the season-opening The Sentry, but starting at the Sony Open in Hawaii, he has played every single week, and the reason is simple: he wants to get into the Masters.
After the Houston Open, every player in the top 50 will earn an invitation to Augusta National. Griffin is 53rd in the Official World Golf Ranking heading into the first of two events in Texas. Another player, Michael Kim, is 52nd in OWGR, and he is making his 11th start in 12 weeks trying to accomplish the same goal.
"It's always been a childhood dream to play in the Masters," Griffin said. "And it would be really cool to, you know, cap off a good start to the season this week with getting into Augusta, as well. That would let me take off next week, get ready for Augusta, play there and then see where the rest of season takes me."
For Griffin, he'll need a 28th or better at the Houston Open to earn his first Masters start, per OWGR aficionado Nosferatu on social media. Kim will need 50th or better.
Being on the road is nothing new to PGA Tour pros, even if this stretch is a little longer than normal. But with the competitiveness on the PGA Tour, combined with only the top 100 players keeping their cards at the end of the year, it makes it easier to play more weeks to try to accumulate more FedEx Cup points.
Griffin recalls in 2023 when the playoffs shrunk from the top 125 getting into the FedEx St. Jude Championship to the top 70. He got the final spot by a minuscule amount over Justin Thomas. That season, Griffin played in 30 events before the playoffs. Thomas played in only 19.
"Guys are trying harder than ever to keep their job, keep their status, and it's a race," Griffin said. And the way the FedEx got structured, the more events you play, the more opportunities you're gonna have to, you know, make more points, and can ultimately get you into playoffs, or every little point matters.
"So for me, I plan my schedule to play a lot. Now, was I planning on playing 12 in a row? No. Normally, I like to do six, seven or eight in a row. That's totally fine for me. Twelves more than I typically would, but I still feel fine."
Griffin admitted he has bounced around from hotel room to hotel room. He and his fiancee recently bought a house in Jupiter, Florida, so while they got to go home during the Cognizant Classic, the house is undergoing renovations so they were without some essentials, like a kitchen.
After playing six straight events out west, Griffin was going to take off the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld but decided to play to continue his momentum. It was a course that suited his game and he tied for fourth south of the border and did the same the next week at the Cognizant.
Griffin has three top-10 finishes this season and has made eight cuts in his 11 starts, though he missed the weekend at the Players and Valspar before coming to the Houston Open.
He said he has gotten so used to traveling he almost enjoys the living-on-the-road lifestyle. When he is home he feels more busy than when he is on the road. He acknowledges he could spend time training or practicing on a specific area of his game, but the grind is something he chased after his entire life.
"I dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour since I was a little kid," Griffin said, "and I try to play in as many tournaments as possible. But if I asked my 16-year-old self right now, if I had a spot in the Houston Open, would I play, I'd say 'absolutely,' regardless of 12 in a row or not. So I try to stay true to my roots. Obviously, things change when you get older, your body, you got to take care of everything, and eventually, family.
"It's fun. I don't mind it. I'm still feeling fresh, even though it's week 12. I'll keep going as long as I need to. I love that."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ben Griffin set for 12th straight start at Houston Open, eyes Masters
Continue reading...
When the 28-year-old tees off Thursday morning at the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open, he'll make his 12th consecutive start. Griffin didn't play in the season-opening The Sentry, but starting at the Sony Open in Hawaii, he has played every single week, and the reason is simple: he wants to get into the Masters.
After the Houston Open, every player in the top 50 will earn an invitation to Augusta National. Griffin is 53rd in the Official World Golf Ranking heading into the first of two events in Texas. Another player, Michael Kim, is 52nd in OWGR, and he is making his 11th start in 12 weeks trying to accomplish the same goal.
"It's always been a childhood dream to play in the Masters," Griffin said. "And it would be really cool to, you know, cap off a good start to the season this week with getting into Augusta, as well. That would let me take off next week, get ready for Augusta, play there and then see where the rest of season takes me."
For Griffin, he'll need a 28th or better at the Houston Open to earn his first Masters start, per OWGR aficionado Nosferatu on social media. Kim will need 50th or better.
Being on the road is nothing new to PGA Tour pros, even if this stretch is a little longer than normal. But with the competitiveness on the PGA Tour, combined with only the top 100 players keeping their cards at the end of the year, it makes it easier to play more weeks to try to accumulate more FedEx Cup points.
Griffin recalls in 2023 when the playoffs shrunk from the top 125 getting into the FedEx St. Jude Championship to the top 70. He got the final spot by a minuscule amount over Justin Thomas. That season, Griffin played in 30 events before the playoffs. Thomas played in only 19.
'It's a race' to keep a job on the PGA Tour
"Guys are trying harder than ever to keep their job, keep their status, and it's a race," Griffin said. And the way the FedEx got structured, the more events you play, the more opportunities you're gonna have to, you know, make more points, and can ultimately get you into playoffs, or every little point matters.
"So for me, I plan my schedule to play a lot. Now, was I planning on playing 12 in a row? No. Normally, I like to do six, seven or eight in a row. That's totally fine for me. Twelves more than I typically would, but I still feel fine."
Griffin admitted he has bounced around from hotel room to hotel room. He and his fiancee recently bought a house in Jupiter, Florida, so while they got to go home during the Cognizant Classic, the house is undergoing renovations so they were without some essentials, like a kitchen.
After playing six straight events out west, Griffin was going to take off the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld but decided to play to continue his momentum. It was a course that suited his game and he tied for fourth south of the border and did the same the next week at the Cognizant.
How has Griffin fared over this three-month stretch?
Griffin has three top-10 finishes this season and has made eight cuts in his 11 starts, though he missed the weekend at the Players and Valspar before coming to the Houston Open.
He said he has gotten so used to traveling he almost enjoys the living-on-the-road lifestyle. When he is home he feels more busy than when he is on the road. He acknowledges he could spend time training or practicing on a specific area of his game, but the grind is something he chased after his entire life.
"I dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour since I was a little kid," Griffin said, "and I try to play in as many tournaments as possible. But if I asked my 16-year-old self right now, if I had a spot in the Houston Open, would I play, I'd say 'absolutely,' regardless of 12 in a row or not. So I try to stay true to my roots. Obviously, things change when you get older, your body, you got to take care of everything, and eventually, family.
"It's fun. I don't mind it. I'm still feeling fresh, even though it's week 12. I'll keep going as long as I need to. I love that."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ben Griffin set for 12th straight start at Houston Open, eyes Masters
Continue reading...
