Before Keegan Bradley made his final picks for Team USA, the contenders were pulling out big guns. Not Ben Griffin, though – he took a straight shot. At the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Griffin casually ran into Bradley and gave him a fist bump, saying, “Sup, Captain. Play well.” Just as they were about to part ways, Griffin turned back and dropped in a whisper: “PICK ME!” But what happened when Bradley did just that?

At the 2025 Procore Championship, Griffin spilled the beans about his reaction to getting the coveted call from Bradley. Following his Sunday round, Griffin confessed during a presser, “No. I don’t give myself enough time to pinch myself, I really don’t. I literally continue to just focus on either practicing, getting ready for the next event or playing in the next event. Definitely, I’d say, like after I got the call from Keegan, I was on the team, that was like one of those crazy moments where I couldn’t really believe that I had achieved what I had done. But then the focus shifted straight to, all right, I need to prepare for the Procore because I knew he wanted everyone to play.” 

The stats say it all. With a 16-under 200 total, he held a one-stroke lead over Jackson Koivun after carding three birdies in a solid 70 at Silverado Resort. Momentum built on Friday, with 16 greens in regulation and impressive approach play, ranking third in Strokes Gained: Approach. He devoured the par-5s, sank a 21-footer on 17, and pinned approaches within 10 feet on two more birdie opportunities.

On the other hand, Griffin’s stats are telling a convincing tale. His Ryder Cup debut credentials are strong: two wins this year have lifted him from No. 65 to No. 17 in the world rankings. He’s also notched eight top-10 finishes and impressively placed inside the top 15 in each of his last 10 cuts — a stretch of form that makes him hard to ignore heading into the 2025 team selection.

Moments like this remind us how dramatic these decisions can be. Just two years ago, in 2023, Sam Burns learned he’d made the U.S. Ryder Cup team in the most unexpected way. After a sleepless night of anticipation, he went to a coffee shop with his wife to calm his nerves. Back home, just as he sat down in the bathroom, Justin Thomas texted him — and then captain Zach Johnson called. Burns answered mid-bathroom break, heard the news, and burst into tears while scrambling to clean up and share it with his wife.

That same mix of tension and emotion now surrounds Griffin’s bid, and even other top pros have taken notice of his rise — a sign of just how strongly his case is resonating.

Scottie Scheffler shows honest support for Ben Griffin

The 2025 Procore Championship has been a US Ryder Cup team affair, with 10 of 12 members in attendance for their final prep. Four of them sit in the top 10 after three rounds, with Scottie Scheffler surging 11 spots with a 64, just two shots behind Ben Griffin.

In his Procore debut and first official fall event in three years, Scheffler unleashed a birdie barrage, notching 10 in a stunning round. He dominated in precision, gaining over three shots on approach and with the putter.

But when asked about his fellow American squad members, he praised none to Griffin on Saturday. Scheffler beamed before answering and stated, following the third round, “Yeah, definitely glad to see another teammate up on top of the leaderboard. We love going into the Ryder Cup seeing guys play well, and Ben’s had a great year, so it’s nice to see him continue that trend this week and have a good prep week going into the Ryder Cup.”

Griffin had a similar reaction to Scheffler’s popularity and gameplay. Following the Saturday round, Griffin stated, “I could hear the roars… Yeah, I looked at the leaderboard and saw his name. You always know he’s probably coming at some point, so I’ve got to continue to do my job and stay ahead of him.”

Regardless of who wins the tournament, however, the American squad’s fortunes are looking strong this week. And if strong performances continue from their side, it is likely the Europeans will be dealing with a great threat two weeks down the line.