Ken Griffey Jr. Embraces Photography at Ryder Cup

In his extensive baseball career, Ken Griffey Jr. has rarely blended into the crowd. Yet, since retiring, he’s found a little more anonymity through a new passion—photography. Recently, at the Ryder Cup, surrounded by throngs of fans, he managed to be somewhat incognito, enjoying the role of a Hall of Fame photographer.

Griffey’s journey into photography began after he hung up his cleats in 2010. It wasn’t until 2015 that he picked up a camera, spurred on by his daughter’s basketball games. “I started because my daughter was playing basketball and people were bothering me in the stands. No one bothered the photographers,” he shared after the first day of the event.

A friend in photography gifted him his initial camera, suggesting he avoid using the automatic settings. That advice led to several impressive qualifications, allowing him to shoot events for the MLB, MLS, NFL, and INDYCAR, and even cover the Masters this year—quite the leap from his beginnings.

Griffey humorously noted, “It’s not my full-time job, because if that’s the case, I’d make it much better.” His sense of luck, in learning from proficient photographers, is evident. He mentioned how significantly his skills have improved, reflecting on his rapid development over just a few years.

Despite capturing numerous events, his favorite moments revolve around his children. He finds joy in seeing their happiness while participating in sports. “I can see joy in their faces, because they look like me. I can relate to them, like family watching them do something,” he expressed. Unlike professional athletes like Scotty Scheffler, whose families witness lengthy journeys, Griffey sees a different path through the eyes of his kids.

As he prepared for the Ryder Cup at Beth Page Black, Griffey was struck by the impressive scale of the course. He has been developing a strategy for filming team events, facing some of the same challenges as his peers. “There are four groups, so I think that’s one of the things I’m learning and mapping because it’s strategic about where you should go,” he explained. “I’ve now reached the challenges like everyone else. I had to go there and produce.”