The 2023 RBC Canadian Open was a pivotal level for Ben Griffin, the previous North Carolina Tar Heel who’s presently the Seventieth-ranked participant on this planet. He determined to skip that week and observe 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 crucial second within the sport’s historical past.
“Wow, I can’t imagine that is taking place,” Griffin stated to himself.
After all, this was when the PGA Tour shockingly introduced its framework settlement with the Saudi Public Funding Fund (PIF). No one knew what it meant on the time. Nor did anybody know what the construction of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would appear like going ahead. However Griffin discovered a invaluable lesson that day, one which any professional outdoors the highest 50 on this planet 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 outdoors noise.
“I’m not too fearful about it,” Fleetwood stated that day in an interview with Golf Channel, in accordance with Griffin.
“It’s what it’s, and I’m simply going to concentrate on successful 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 authorised a collection of adjustments, which incorporates decreasing the variety of members from 125 to 100 gamers, lowering the sector sizes of just about each match, 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 during the last yr and a half to not get myself too concerned with quite a lot of insurance policies and focus extra on my profession and what’s at stake as a result of, finally, that’s all that issues to me,” Griffin stated 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, particularly 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 adjustments that the tour authorised is decreasing the variety of PGA Tour playing cards for Korn Ferry Tour graduates from 30 to twenty.
“The adjustments are what they’re. Despite the fact that lots of people would possibly say that my place is barely deprived by among the adjustments, I can have a look at it from a special perspective and see why a few of these adjustments are being made,” Fisk stated Wednesday.
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“Actually, the whole lot that’s been laid out is smart. It might not essentially be what’s finest for somebody popping out of my class, however I nonetheless have so many alternatives subsequent yr that if I play good golf, the whole lot takes care of itself.”
Taking part in good golf will handle the whole lot when it comes right down to the crux of the difficulty. However nice golf could not even be rightfully rewarded. Gamers must shoot decrease scores since solely so many alternatives will probably be out there.
“I’m not numb to the truth that we’re chopping 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 dangerous,” defined Brian Harman, the 2023 Open Champion who sat on the Competitions and Rules Subcommittee part of the Participant Advisory Council.
“We’re each single sort of professional and con to each piece that strikes round and making an attempt to determine essentially the most equitable, fairest method to have an excellent product whereas offering sufficient enjoying 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 methods to higher reshape the PGA Tour sooner or later. It’s additionally no coincidence that these conferences—and subsequent adjustments—come on the heels of an funding from the Strategic Sports activities Group (SSG), a consortium of outstanding sports activities house owners and personal fairness executives.
“These are actually laborious 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 all the info that’s offered, and also you do your finest to make the absolute best resolution for essentially the most quantity of individuals.”
Harman used the phrase “optimistic” to explain the overall feeling of gamers about these adjustments.
“All of the talks that we have now all been actually optimistic, and the whole lot that we’ve been making an attempt to do, it’s all forward-thinking,” Harman stated.
“I imply, who is aware of? Who is aware of? We had the info, we have a look at the whole lot, you do your finest, and then you definitely consider after occasions go; it’s all you are able to do.”
However the one factor any PGA Tour professional can do is to take after Fleetwood and concentrate on their recreation and themselves. No one 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 possibility is to observe Fleetwood’s mindset. It’s important to block out the noise, work, and observe, and in the event you try this, the outcomes will come, and the whole lot else will handle 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 yr alone and has an opportunity to vault into the Aon Subsequent 10 this week with a powerful end on the RSM Basic. Griffin additionally has 5 top-10s, which features a T-8 finally week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. His finest end, humorous sufficient, got here at this yr’s RBC Canadian Open, the place he completed solo second to Robert MacIntyre.
“It’s not value being for or in opposition to any kind of adjustments,” Griffin added.
“They’re what they’re, and my objective is simply to play pretty much as good of golf as potential.”
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
