After PGA Tour Q-College romp, Lanto Griffin is not going anyplace

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Lanto Griffin didn’t want any additional motivation, however the e mail that got here by his inbox on Wednesday evening didn’t damage.

After ending outdoors the highest 150 in FedExCup factors this season, Griffin figured his standing for subsequent yr wouldn’t be nice. He was shocked, nevertheless, to learn that he didn’t have any assured Korn Ferry Tour begins in his again pocket.

“It sort of pissed me off,” Griffin stated.

So, what did Griffin do? He took his frustrations out on the sector in PGA Tour Q-College’s ultimate stage, capping his first journey to qualifying faculty in eight years with a blistering 7-under 63 on the Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass to run away with medalist honors.

Griffin doesn’t have to fret about Korn Ferry Tour begins now.

He was certainly one of six gamers to earn full PGA Tour membership on this second yr of the most recent Q-College iteration.

“When your again’s towards the wall, you don’t have a alternative,” Griffin stated. “Clearly, it might have gone a distinct route this week for me, however my focus was good. The drive and the whole lot continues to be there, and I actually didn’t need it to finish.”

Griffin’s Q-College win marks his first victory, of any form, since his maiden PGA Tour title on the 2019 Houston Open. Lots has occurred since then – the ruptured disc in his decrease again in July 2022 and ensuing microdiscectomy that saved Griffin, No. 65 in factors on the time, out till the next January; marrying his longtime girlfriend, Maya, in December 2022, and welcoming their first little one, a daughter, earlier this fall; serving to his lifelong teacher, Steve Prater, construct a brand new indoor facility at Blacksburg Nation Membership; and changing into considerably of a spokesperson and public defender for the PGA Tour’s rank and file.

Griffin admits now that he got here again too early, even perhaps as a lot as six months untimely, and he struggled beneath the strain of competing on a medical extension. He didn’t publish a top-10 end final yr, and he had only one this season, on the ISCO Championship in July, earlier than shedding his card.

However he took confidence from making 9 consecutive cuts, and if he might simply begin making putts – he was No. 123 in strokes gained: placing this season – he’d don’t have any points regaining his place on the massive tour.

The new flatstick, due to a setup revelation on Monday morning, confirmed up this week as Griffin fired three rounds within the 60s, the one outlier a decent 72 in brutal scoring situations Friday at Sawgrass Nation Membership. He opened Sunday’s ultimate spherical with an eagle and poured in 4 extra birdies earlier than the flip, permitting himself to cruise into the clubhouse for what can be a three-shot win over Hayden Buckley, one other former PGA Tour participant who’s seeking to bounce again from damage. Buckley tore a rib muscle two summers in the past, plummeted in strokes gained: off the tee (No. 10 to No. 90 this yr) and ended up two spots forward of Griffin in factors. Not like Griffin, although, Buckley didn’t have any begins on any tour afforded to him.

“An enormous aid,” stated Buckley, who put a brand new driver and 3-wood in play this week, which he capped with back-to-back 67s. “There was a time right this moment the place I felt it slipping away, however I had an incredible feeling this complete week from the second I stepped foot on the property. … There’s no secret I performed terrible this yr, however I knew I used to be so near taking part in good golf.”

Riedel started the ultimate day tied for the lead with Alistair Docherty. Each had been relaxed as they warmed up on a soggy driving vary, Docherty on the far left, proper up towards the amateurs skulling wedges earlier than taking up the close by Stadium Course. Riedel’s caddie was even throwing golf balls, attempting to land them on a goal inexperienced some 75 yards away.

The pair would then mix to shoot 6 over on the entrance 9.

Docherty, who got here up one shot wanting incomes his PGA Tour card a couple of months in the past on the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, double-bogeyed the par-5 opening gap and didn’t card a birdie till the penultimate gap, finally ending up solo seventh, once more a single shot from his PGA Tour card. Riedel notched solely two pars in his first 10 holes, including three birdies, 4 bogeys and a double.

“I’ve been in some nervous conditions,” stated Riedel, the current Vanderbilt standout who earned his ticket to ultimate stage after ending within the high 5 of the PGA Tour College race. “That was by far essentially the most nervous. It was just a little little bit of tunneling of simply not with the ability to see something. … However I had numerous self-belief, and I’m glad it labored out the best way it did.”

Riedel later added: “I’ve received to go get just a little bit higher.”