Ben Griffin’s BMW Championship Rollercoaster

It wasn’t nerves that got the better of Ben Griffin; it was a mix of creatine and a rough start.

Griffin’s final round at the BMW Championship kicked off in a way that no golfer wants—he struggled to putt on the first hole, needing four attempts from just four feet out and then sending a tee shot careening out of bounds on the second hole.

“So I’ve been taking creatine as a supplement. This time I didn’t use it until after I teed off; I was at the tail end of my supply,” Griffin explained to reporters post-round. “I kind of made a creatine snowman since it had been a month since I opened the batch. I broke it up and put it in a water bottle.”

He added, “I’m alright. I even took a selfie on the course before everything went south. Things got tricky after my second shot, though—I accidentally swallowed one of those big rocks in my water bottle. I’ve never really experienced an ‘overdose’ on creatine.”

Video footage of Griffin’s disastrous opening hole quickly gained traction online, showcasing his struggles that resulted in triples and double bogeys.

“It felt like a whirlwind; I was bewildered and didn’t know how to regroup. Thankfully, my caddy helped me focus again,” he recounted.

Creatine is widely recognized for its ability to provide sustained energy to muscles, which likely didn’t help Griffin when it came to his early missteps.

However, he managed to recover, birdying seven of his last twelve holes at Cave Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, ultimately finishing tied for 12th.

At 29, Griffin has had quite a breakout season on the PGA Tour, notching his first two wins at the Zurich Classic and Charles Schwab Challenge alongside partner Andrew Novak.

Currently, he stands ninth in the Ryder Cup standings, with the potential to be selected by Captain Keegan Bradley to face the European team next month at Beth Page.

“It wasn’t the scenario I’d hoped for,” he confessed. “I went into the round thinking it would go a certain way, but, well, things took an unexpected turn. It was disappointing.”

“Still, it felt odd throughout. Once we hit the third tee box, it was like, let’s just pretend this is all normal.”

Scotty Schaeffler ultimately clinched the BMW Championship title, surpassing Robert McIntyre.

Both Griffin and Schaeffler are set to be among the 30 players competing next week at the East Lake Golf Club Tour Championship, where the winner will claim a hefty $10 million prize.