ST. SIMONS ISLAND (Ga.) – It seems that a home game on PGA TOUR gives you an advantage. There is no need to rent a car or stay in a hotel. Familiarity and knowledge of the local cuisines and geography. It’s the little things. The little things are what matter most. This was the case for Ben Griffin, who had it happen earlier in the week at The RSM Classic. The adopted St. Simons Island resident was about to take a shower at his home Tuesday morning when he discovered that his roommate had left the latest water bill unpaid. Bryson Nimmer (his roommate) had just qualified Monday with a score of 63. Griffin was also affected by a stomach bug, which has reduced Griffin’s food intake. “The last three days have contained electrolytes,” it said. Griffin has been able to thrive in such situations for the past year. Thursday was no exception. The TOUR rookie opened The RSM Classic at Sea Island GC (Plantation) in 7-under 65, one off the pace of Cole Hammer, a recent PGA TOUR University graduate. Griffin stated Thursday at Sea Island GC, “My WHOOP told me I was 1% recovery.” “I believe it was either a stomach virus, or food poisoning. Today, I didn’t eat anything. Monday night I didn’t get any sleep so I spent the night in the toilet throwing up. It was not great. I tried to sleep for most of Tuesday but only managed two hours. “I haven’t had a lot fuel from a food standpoint in the last few days but it’s always exciting teeing up on the PGA TOUR. I felt energized right out the gate. It was great. Griffin only ate two pieces of cereal on Thursday before he set off for the course. He also had a protein shake in his bag but it went off. He was determined, however. He shot a perfect round at the last full-field TOUR event in the calendar year, despite playing on a course he is familiar with. He is a North Carolina native who has written one of the most memorable stories in golf. After taking a break from golf to work as a mortgage officer in summer 2021, Korn Ferry Tour membership was obtained via Q-School. From there, he went on to earn his first TOUR card through the season-long standings. After leading the back nine on Sunday, he finished third at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. He wasn’t going to let a stomach bug or water outage stop him. Tuesday saw him head to The Spa on Sea Island for a quick shower. He spent Tuesday and Wednesday at home resting, preparing for the competition. The 26-year old played four to five holes Wednesday night at Sea Island’s Retreat course. He was not feeling particularly confident, but he did hit the balls for five minutes, and then rolled to his tee with quiet confidence. He was familiar with the course and had five consecutive made cuts. Three of his top-25s were also included. He was able to weather sub-60-degree weather conditions, hitting 12/14 fairways in regulation and 17/18 greens. Griffin laughed about his local advantage, saying “It’s a simple commute…should have walked.” “A few stop lights kept me back this morning. “It’s important to keep warm. I could feel my hands getting stiffer throughout the day so I tried to use the handwarmer from time to time while moving about. Because I have lived here for a while, it’s a course that I am familiar with so I was comfortable with my starting lines. Some of the numbers may change slightly when it is windy or you play a bit longer. But I felt at home and very comfortable to post a number. The water at home was back Tuesday evening. Griffin could walk home Sunday with a trophy.
By: Kevin Prise
Title: Water bill mishap, stomach bug don’t derail Ben Griffin at The RSM Classic
Sourced From: www.pgatour.com/news/2022/11/17/water-bill-mishap-stomach-dont-derail-ben-griffin-at-the-rsm-classic.html
Published Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:28:00 -0500
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