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Qualifying for a Korn Ferry Tour event is certainly tough.
If you do make it, it’s even tougher to actually make the cut.
One golfer came to the Ozarks this week trying to do just that after nearly giving up on those dreams for good.
“He said, ‘I think I need to quit golf’,” said Springfield native Mike Swann.
When Swann got the call back in March, he could hardly believe it.
“I was like ‘oh my gosh, you’re so close, you’re playing so well’,” Swann said.
He was on the phone with his friend, Ben Griffin.
“I was just trying to pay the bills, honestly. Just trying to pay the rent check,” Griffin said.
The North Carolina native spent three years as a pro golfer including one year on the Korn Ferry Tour.
He also played for PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
Then the pandemic and the financial impacts that came with it forced the 25-year old to make a difficult decision.
“I couldn’t really travel because of the virus. So I was stuck trying to play mini tours throughout the US. It’s very difficult to make a lot of money and have a profession doing that, so I decided to put up the clubs back in March,” Griffin said.
That led to a few months of Griffin selling mortgages.
Then, Swann had an idea.
Since Griffin was no longer a professional, Swann invited him to play in the member-guest tournament at Highland Springs Country Club where Swann is a member.
That’s where Griffin was convinced to enter Monday’s Price Cutter Charity Championship Qualifier at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club.
“I said, ‘hey I want you to come back out. I’m going to fly you out, I’ve got the week off and we’re going to win this thing’,” Swann said.
Despite the confidence from his friend turned caddie, the reality is Griffin had hardly played in recent months.
“I played three or four rounds this week and that probably added up to about 12 [rounds] over the past four months,” Griffin said.
He also had hardly any time to prepare, still sitting at his bank desk as of 6:15 last Friday evening.
Still, he flew in last Saturday, played a few holes Sunday and played in the Price Cutter Charity Championship Qualifier on Monday.
It was his first competitive event in months. Griffin shot a 6-under 65 to finish in a tie for 5th place in a field of over 100.
Even more impressive, he accomplished all that with a heavy heart.
“Late last week, my grandfather passed away, so I kind of had him along for the ride,” Griffin said.
It was a ride his grandpa would be proud of, even if Griffin didn’t make the cut at the actual Price Cutter Charity Championship.
“[My grandpa] loved golf,” Griffin said. “His obituary had a quote that said “ hit ‘em long and straight.’ So that’s what I tried to do on Monday and was able to and it was just cool to have him there in spirit.”
Griffin hopes to keep that spirit with him as he tries to build on this strong week in Springfield.
He says with the help of some friends, he’s back to golf full time. He plans to try qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour this fall.
