Ben Griffin has left it all on the course in his relentless pursuit of a Masters invitation. The 28-year-old has teed it up in every possible event this season – missing only The Sentry (due to eligibility) and Puerto Rico Open (while competing at Bay Hill instead).
His marathon stretch included 12 consecutive tournaments, highlighted by an impressive T-7 at the American Express while battling illness.
The former mortgage loan officer began 2025 ranked 68th in the world, facing a clear path to Augusta: win a PGA Tour event or crack the OWGR top 50 by this week’s cutoff.
His hot streak – featuring a T-7 at AMEX followed by back-to-back T-4 finishes in Mexico and Palm Beach Gardens – propelled him 20 spots to 48th after the Cognizant Classic.
But golf’s fickle nature intervened. A modest T-45 at Bay Hill and consecutive missed cuts at the Players and Valspar saw him slip to 53rd, setting up a dramatic final chance at last week’s Houston Open.
Griffin delivered under pressure, firing a Sunday 65 to finish T-18 – a result initially celebrated as enough to secure his Masters debut. Multiple outlets prematurely ran victory pieces, while Tour communications suggested he only needed 28th or better.
Then came the gut punch: Monday’s updated rankings revealed Griffin had fallen agonizingly short at 51st – one spot from glory.
The heartbreaking near-miss forced him to publicly acknowledge his Masters dream would have to wait, capping one of the season’s most brutal qualification stories.
In a dramatic twist of fate, Griffin gets one final shot at Masters redemption this week. The exhausted but determined golfer will tee it up at the Valero Texas Open – his 13th straight tournament this season – with everything on the line.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer: Win and punch his ticket to Augusta.
As Griffin prepares for what may be the most important round of his career, he’ll hope the number 13 proves lucky for once. After 12 grueling weeks of near-misses and heartbreak, this is his last chance to turn his Masters dream into reality.
