FORT WORTH, Texas — 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 Country Club.
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 a 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.
The 29-year-old North Carolina native forced Griffin to make a four-foot par putt on the 72nd hole after his chip from the deep rough behind the green went in for a 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 closed out a 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 four-footer. I felt pretty good over it. Just left edge and trust it.”