Ben Griffin is on a mission to prove to Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley that he can be a “stone-cold killer” – and hopes to have his close friend Andrew Novak alongside him at Bethpage
Ben Griffin has surged into contention for a spot on Team USA’s Ryder Cup roster, but he’s not looking for any “handouts.”
The two-time PGA Tour champ is determined to show captain Keegan Bradley that he’s got the mettle of a “stone-cold killer.” Griffin’s season has been nothing short of a revelation, with his recent triumph at the Charles Schwab Challenge adding to his April victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Andrew Novak.
His revamped fitness regimen, which has significantly increased his ball speed, has vaulted him to 24th in the Official World Golf Ranking and fifth in the FedEx Cup standings. The golfer from North Carolina kept up his hot streak by leading the pack after the first round of the Memorial Tournament, carding an impressive seven-under-par 65 at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
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Currently sitting at 13th in the Ryder Cup standings, Griffin knows that cracking the top six would guarantee him a spot on Bradley’s 12-man squad come September at Bethpage. A strong performance throughout the rest of the Memorial Tournament could see him climb even closer to automatic qualification.
In an interview with Mirror U.S. Sports, Griffin admitted that making the Ryder Cup team wasn’t on his radar at the start of the season. However, now that it’s a tangible goal, he’s on a crusade to demonstrate his worth to the captain.
“I’d say it’s more emerged [as a possibility]. I think it’s almost on every golfer’s radar. Now, being on the team is a completely different thing. You’ve got to prove it. You’ve got to prove yourself to belong on that team. And for me, personally, who I want on that team and who Keegan wants on that team are the 12 best players. And he’s got a lot of results he can look at to build that roster,” Griffin said.
“All I can do is try to earn my way on that team and continue to play really well. I don’t want to be on that team if I’m not a top, elite player. I want to make sure I’m one of the best golfers in the world to be on that team. So I don’t want any sort of handouts. That’s not how any of this works. I’m not going to mooch or anything like that.
“I don’t want to be on a Ryder Cup team just to be on a Ryder Cup team. I want to be on the Ryder Cup team because I want to be a stone-cold killer who’s trying to beat the European team and win points. If I’m not thinking that way, I don’t want to be on that team. Let’s say I’m 15th in the standings and Keegan thinks I should be on that team.
“I don’t want to be on that team unless I believe that I’m going to win points and beat their best player, beat Roy McIlroy if I’m in a singles match with him.
“I’m there right now mentally that I can do it. I just need to continue to prove myself this summer in the major and big-time events coming up that I belong. I need to continue to do the same things to keep my game sharp because I want to be extremely sharp in September once I earn my way on that team.”
Griffin revealed that Bradley congratulated him on his win at Colonial last Sunday, but the UNC alum hopes his form will speak for itself when the captain selects the team. The only thing that could sweeten the deal for Griffin is if his friend Novak also makes the team.
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“Andrew’s playing really well this season. I would really love it if we continued to crush it on the PGA Tour the rest of the season, both earn spots on that team and play together because I think our games pair really well,” Griffin said.
“Obviously because we won, but even when we played together in team money games back home in Georgia and different places. We get along extremely well, and there are other guys on the team that I would love to team up with, too. Everyone, really.
“So it’s been fun the last month to kind of get in this talk, but I’m not going to let it disturb me from what I’m trying to do individually, playing in majors, playing in these elite events, and trying to win. And if I keep doing the right things, you know, Keegan, it’s not going have to work hard. He won’t even have to pick me. If I continue to do the right things, I’ll earn my spot.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
