How Ben Griffin Made a Comeback

The golfer's journey from financial strain to PGA Tour triumph, supported by a forgotten brand

- Meraj Shah

Ben Griffin, appearing in a popular golf podcast earlier this year, said, "I love the noise. It's the closest I'll ever get to feeling like an NFL player." Griffin, who plays on the US PGA Tour, was responding to a question about the Waste Management Phoenix Open—an event with a reputation for a raucous gallery. "You've got to embrace the noise. Some guys don't like it. I don't have a problem with it," he added. Griffin was spot on with the observation of his peers—most pro golfers don't like noisy galleries on the course. On most professional tourneys, a hush descends every time a player is about to hit a shot as course marshals hold up placards asking for silence. In that moment, ripe for disturbance, the inadvertent crack of a twig under someone's foot can sound like a rifle shot. Cue, the collective stares of the gallery. "You just disrespected the players. You boor."