The 2023 RBC Canadian Open was a pivotal level for Ben Griffin, the previous North Carolina Tar Heel who’s at present the Seventieth-ranked participant on the earth. He determined to skip that week and apply at house as an alternative, having missed 5 of his final six cuts. However, like the remainder of {the golfing} world, Griffin was glued to Golf Channel on Tuesday, Jun. 6, 2023, a important second within the sport’s historical past.
“Wow, I can’t imagine that is taking place,” Griffin mentioned to himself.
In fact, this was when the PGA Tour shockingly introduced its framework settlement with the Saudi Public Funding Fund (PIF). No person knew what it meant on the time. Nor did anybody know what the construction of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would appear to be going ahead. However Griffin discovered a priceless lesson that day, one which any professional exterior the highest 50 on the earth ought to relate to—even now.
Amid the fracas, participant conferences, and confusion that day in Toronto, one man saved to himself. Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who wound up dropping to Nick Taylor in a playoff later that week, minded his personal enterprise on the vary. He hit ball after ball, not worrying concerning the exterior noise.
“I’m not too nervous about it,” Fleetwood mentioned that day in an interview with Golf Channel, in accordance with Griffin.
“It’s what it’s, and I’m simply going to deal with profitable this week.”
That mindset paid off for Fleetwood as a result of, if not for Taylor’s historic 72-foot eagle putt, he could have received his first PGA Tour title.
Quick-forward to this week. On Monday, the PGA Tour accredited a collection of modifications, which incorporates lowering the variety of members from 125 to 100 gamers, lowering the sector sizes of just about each event, and eliminating a lot of the Monday qualifiers. Amid these stark transformations, Griffin instantly recalled watching Fleetwood hit balls on the vary, specializing in himself and silencing the surface noise.
“I‘ve tried to make use of that mindset that he’s had over the past 12 months and a half to not get myself too concerned with numerous insurance policies and focus extra on my profession and what’s at stake as a result of, in the end, that’s all that issues to me,” Griffin mentioned on Wednesday.
“The insurance policies are going to be what they’re, and my objective is to attempt to win and play in addition to I can.”
Different younger gamers are following this mindset, too, specifically Steven Fisk, who will make his PGA Tour debut this week in his native Georgia. Fisk completed fourth within the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour standings, thus incomes his card for 2025. One of many modifications that the tour accredited is lowering the variety of PGA Tour playing cards for Korn Ferry Tour graduates from 30 to twenty.
“The modifications are what they’re. Though lots of people may say that my place is barely deprived by a few of the modifications, I can have a look at it from a distinct perspective and see why a few of these modifications are being made,” Fisk mentioned Wednesday.
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“Actually, every thing that’s been laid out is smart. It could not essentially be what’s greatest for somebody popping out of my class, however I nonetheless have so many alternatives subsequent 12 months that if I play good golf, every thing takes care of itself.”
Taking part in good golf will deal with every thing when it comes right down to the crux of the difficulty. However nice golf could not even be rightfully rewarded. Gamers should shoot decrease scores since solely so many alternatives will probably be accessible.
“I’m not numb to the truth that we’re reducing alternatives, proper? It’s not one thing that sits effectively with me and doesn’t sit effectively with anybody in any of these discussions, however all these choices that get made, they’re all not good or unhealthy,” defined Brian Harman, the 2023 Open Champion who sat on the Competitions and Laws Subcommittee part of the Participant Advisory Council.
“We’re taking a look at each single form of professional and con to each piece that strikes round and making an attempt to determine essentially the most equitable, fairest solution to have a fantastic product whereas offering sufficient taking part in alternatives for everybody.”
Harman additionally talked about how he participated in conferences for the higher a part of eight months, making an attempt to determine learn how to higher reshape the PGA Tour sooner or later. It’s additionally no coincidence that these conferences—and subsequent modifications—come on the heels of an funding from the Strategic Sports activities Group (SSG), a consortium of outstanding sports activities homeowners and personal fairness executives.
“These are actually exhausting conversations as a result of I’ve been on each aspect of that token. I’ve been 100 to 125, I’ve been 70 to 100, I’ve been 1 to twenty,” Harman added.
“I perceive how all these blocs really feel, and for me to have to debate how that stuff will get moved round, it’s extraordinarily troublesome and uncomfortable. However you simply have a look at the entire data that’s offered, and also you do your greatest to make the very best determination for essentially the most quantity of individuals.”
Harman used the phrase “optimistic” to explain the overall feeling of gamers about these modifications.
“All of the talks that we’ve got all been actually constructive, and every thing that we’ve been making an attempt to do, it’s all forward-thinking,” Harman mentioned.
“I imply, who is aware of? Who is aware of? We had the info, we have a look at every thing, you do your greatest, and then you definately consider after occasions move; it’s all you are able to do.”
However the one factor any PGA Tour professional can do is to take after Fleetwood and deal with their sport and themselves. No person can management what the tour will do.
So, for a participant like Griffin, who isn’t a prime star however a strong participant, their solely choice is to observe Fleetwood’s mindset. It’s a must to block out the noise, work, and apply, and in case you do this, the outcomes will come, and every thing else will deal with itself.
Griffin has leaned on this precept and ignored the commotion, which has helped him immensely in 2024. He has improved his place within the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) by 30 spots this 12 months alone and has an opportunity to vault into the Aon Subsequent 10 this week with a powerful end on the RSM Traditional. Griffin additionally has 5 top-10s, which features a T-8 ultimately week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. His greatest end, humorous sufficient, got here at this 12 months’s RBC Canadian Open, the place he completed solo second to Robert MacIntyre.
“It’s not price being for or in opposition to any type of modifications,” Griffin added.
“They’re what they’re, and my objective is simply to play pretty much as good of golf as attainable.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
