Ben Griffin currently holds a chance to join Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as the only golfers on the PGA Tour to win three times or more this season. The Ryder Cup debutant possesses two wins in his pocket, and he could have had two more if not for Scheffler. He knows this, that’s why he’s glad his buddy is not playing at the moment. At the World Wide Technology Championship, Griffin said his thoughts out loud, sending the golf world into a frenzy.

“Yeah, I learned that Scottie wouldn’t be in the field at Cabo, so I felt like I’d have a better chance,” Griffin said with a grin. “Four wins this season if Scottie didn’t play on the PGA TOUR…he took two.” He then ends his interview looking straight into the camera, saying, “Stay at home as much as you want, buddy,” said Ben Griffin after his third round at El Cardonal Golf Course at WWT Championship.

His light-hearted and clever jibe (not the first time, though) at Scheffler took many by surprise. The comment section of the post was filled with laughing emojis, as fans couldn’t help but admire Griffin’s playful banter. But what many might not have noted is how, in his effort to be a comic, the American ended up spilling some truth.

Because he indeed had two wins this year — one at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Andrew Novak and then his first individual title at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Apart from these, he did come close to winning two more times. At The Memorial, he registered a solo second with a 6-under par. And then recently at the Procore Championship, he again finished as the runner-up with an 18-under par. Both tournaments had one thing in common: Scheffler was the ultimate winner.

“Anytime you can play with the best player in the world, you’re obviously going to learn some things…he’s so steady. And so I’ve got to be steady tomorrow. It’ll be nice. I’m probably not in the final group, so it’ll give me a chance to post a number and put some pressure on the guys behind me,” Griffin continued in his interview.

That’s why, when he’s again very close to winning, it only makes sense that he’s happy with Scheffler’s absence. Griffin had fired a third-round 66 in Cabo and is at a 20-under par. He’s just two shots behind Garrick Higgo‘s lead. Currently, he’s tied third with Chad Ramey and Trevor Cone. Sunday’s fourth round will be crucial for Griffin if he aims for a third win.

And by the talk of it, it looks like he is. “Going back five years ago, I’d just be happy to be on the PGA TOUR,” he told the PGA Tour. He’s had an incredible season this year. From his 29 starts, he missed the cuts in just 6, registering eleven top-10 finishes. For someone who left golf in 2021 and built his life as a loan officer, this comeback would surely feel surreal.

“I’ll lean on a lot of my past experiences tomorrow to try to get the job done,” he told the interviewer.

All in all, Griffin looks quite content with his performance, and that was visible in his goofiness on the interview. Something that fans also didn’t miss.

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Fans’ verdict for Ben Griffin — a likeable guy

Two hours after the clip’s been posted on the PGA Tour’s official Instagram handle, the likes are unstoppable. With 3500+ people hearting the post, the comments are the ones that actually need to be read. Here are a few of them.

“😂 Ben is such a likable guy to root for,” says one. For a player once known by DJ Benny Beats, he surely is likable. He’s come full circle – from golf to a loan officer and back to golf. But what has remained is Griffin’s habit of jokes and pranks. His TikTok account is one of the funniest corners of golf social media.

He’s prank-called his caddie, Alex Ritthamel, saying “goodnight” before early tee times. He’s also tricked his close friend Ryan Gerard by crashing his post-win conference, masquerading as a PGA Tour comms intern. All of this was done in good fun. “That was funny 😄,” said another user.

And yeah, most of these jibes involve Griffin’s close fellows. Scheffler, too, is one among them. The two have known each other since their junior and amateur golf days. After his win at the Procore Championship, Scheffler called Griffin a guy “with a lot of confidence” and his “buddy.”

“I grew up with Ben. He always had the talent to make it out here,” he then funnily adds,  “I’m excited that I don’t have to play against him.”

So, echoing that sentiment, one user typed, “There ya go, a little friendly banter 😂👏🔥.” Another fan commended Griffin’s clever humor and said, “Chess, not checkers 😂”

With so much anticipation building up, only time will tell if Ben Griffin can actually make the most of Scottie Scheffler’s absence in Cabo.