Ben Griffin hangs on at Colonial
through tough final round, beats Matti Schmid by 1
[May 27, 2025]
By SCHUYLER DIXON
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Ben Griffin figured it wouldn't be easy
even after immediately breaking his tie with co-leader Matti Schmid
and leading by five shots just five holes into the final round at
Colonial.
Schmid kept it interesting all the way to the end.
Griffin earned his first individual PGA Tour victory a month after
winning a team event, shooting 1-over 71 to finish at 12-under 268
in the Charles Schwab Challenge, one shot ahead of Schmid as both
struggled on a warm day with wind gusts around 30 mph at Hogan's
Alley.
Schmid forced Griffin to make a 4-foot par putt on the 72nd hole
after his chip from the deep rough behind the green went in for
birdie. Griffin saved par from the rough, standing in a bunker while
choking way down on the club with the ball well above his feet on
his chip. Schmid shot 72.
“First of all, it was like whack-a-mole hitting that third shot,”
Griffin said. “In my head, I was thinking Matti might probably make
that. Fortunately, I had that 4-footer. I felt pretty good over it.
Just left edge and trust it.”
Griffin and Schmid, the 27-year-old German seeking his first tour
win in his 79th start, had matching scores each of the first three
days.
Schmid was the one who surged in front early in the third round,
taking a three-shot lead. Griffin had a five-shot edge after just
five holes in the final round, and finally let Schmid get within a
stroke with a two-shot swing at 16 before getting the lead back to
two with a hole to play.
Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and hometown favorite who won the
PGA Championship last week, couldn't match his Saturday surge from
10 shots back. The three-time major winner began the day six shots
back, but had just two birdies and a bogey in a 69 to finish 8
under.
Scheffler fell short of becoming the first to win three consecutive
starts since Dustin Johnson eight years ago, and just missed a
fourth consecutive year of finishing in the top three at Colonial.
He tied for fourth, one shot behind Bud Cauley, who shot 67.
“Overall it was a really challenging day,” Scheffler said. “I think
Friday probably hurt me in terms of winning this tournament, but
overall three of the four days I played what I felt was pretty
solid.”
Rickie Fowler never threatened the co-leaders, either, starting
slowly and ending his fading hopes with a 7 on the par-5 11th.
Fowler, who entered ranked 127th after being in the top 25 as
recently as early 2024, shot 74.
The 29-year-old Griffin teamed with Andrew Novak, who finished 6
under at Colonial, for the victory at the Zurich Classic in New
Orleans last month. They left openings for others then, just as
Griffin did Sunday.
[to top of second column] |
Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with fiance Dana Myeroff after winning
the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at Colonial Country
Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Griffin and Schmid took a four-shot lead into the
final round, and stayed 1-2 despite both finishing over par for the
day.
Schmid had six bogeys and a double bogey to go with six birdies,
while Griffin had four bogeys after opening with an eagle and a
birdie.
“No lead is ever safe on the PGA Tour,” Griffin said. “It can feel
like a tournament's done. Maybe if it's Scottie Scheffler with a
five-shot lead, it's done. I was trying to keep the pedal down. I
kept hitting a lot of drivers, kept trying to give myself birdie
putts. I just didn't give myself a lot of birdie putts.”
Griffin hit just four of 14 fairways and seven of 18 greens but made
consecutive testy par putts on the back nine, the first on the par-4
14th leaving him with a three-shot lead when Schmid missed a shorter
putt for par.
Schmid got within one by hitting his tee shot inside 3 feet at the
par-3 16th before Griffin missed a par putt. The momentum swung
again on the next hole when Griffin saved par from behind a tree in
the fairway and Schmid curiously aimed away from the hole with his
ball plugged in a bunker, ended up in the rough and made bogey.
“The only two places were right of the green or long left, and I
think then I would have had to chip up and over,” Schmid said. “I
think the up-and-down was a little more straightforward. At that
point I just tried to make a five, and thankfully I did it.”
Then he made things interesting on the final hole.
“Honestly I just tried to hit it long left a little bit,” Schmid
said. “Hit it pretty high so it would stop quite quickly and just
came out a bit right and went in. A bit of luck, but deserved it.”
Tommy Fleetwood had the other highlight on 18, after shooting a 31
on the front nine to get into contention but losing momentum with a
bogey at 11. His birdie putt on the final hole stopped on the lip of
the cup, and he waited almost 30 seconds hoping the gusting wind
would push the ball into the hole. Nature obliged.
Fleetwood shot 68 to tie Scheffler in his 41st top-10 finish on the
PGA Tour, the most by a player without a victory since 1983.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
