“If you don’t love it, it’s gonna be a hard profession for you to be good at.” The quote, if heard in 2024, wouldn’t feel as relevant as it does in 2025. Ben Griffin said these wise words for his life struggle, which he battled through to make himself compete against the prominent names in the sport and win multiple titles. The 29-year-old in a single season has already bagged two wins, including the Zurich Classic and the Charles Schwab Challenge. His parents, since the beginning of his golfing journey, have contributed immensely to helping the golfer achieve his goals.
Let’s get to know his parents better and how their contribution shaped the golfer who is turning heads.
Early life and profession of Ben Griffin’s parents
Born to Cowan and Erika Griffin in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ben is the elder of the two sons. Both his parents met and began their love life at the University of North Carolina. Father Cowan Griffin worked as a seasoned real estate professional and president of Carolina Realty in Chapel Hill. With his expertise in the field, he has been the key support for the family. On the other hand, his mother, Erika Griffin, has been successful in the mortgage industry. She holds the position of senior mortgage banker at CIMG Residential Mortgage.
Despite his parents having a service background, sports have been in his bloodline. The golfer’s great-grandfather, Ben Shields, played as a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Yankees during the 1920s and 1930s. In the later generation, the passion for sports continued, but the sport changed to golf.
For Ben Griffin, it was his father and grandfather who got him early exposure to golf. His father has played a pivotal role in his career, as he was the caddie during the junior years of Griffin’s career. Not just this, but when Griffin struggled with his career, it was his parents who offered an alternative to get his headspace cleared.
The untold story of the struggle behind the rising PGA Tour professional
With the ups and downs in life, the Griffins have been the unshakeable pillar for their sons. For their contribution and support, Ben Griffin, after his win at the Charles Schwab Challenge, expressed his gratitude: “I credit that to going back to junior golf. My parents did so much for me growing up.”
He even shared, “They got hit hard by the recession, the 2008 recession. They invested a lot in me being able to practice and compete.” During the recession, the family downsized their home and gave up their membership in the country club. Even though there wasn’t much to spend, his parents kept him playing at the public golf course, sharing that they still belonged to the middle to upper-middle class.
With the strong foundation for the game after the struggle, Ben turned professional in 2018, but his career graph didn’t go as expected. He participated in the Korn Ferry Tour, but with just one win in three years and no signs of getting the PGA Tour card, he was falling into debt and facing a financial crisis.
Regarding the hardships he faced, he shared, “I wasn’t able to pay my own rent without help from parents and health insurance, whatever it might be. I was 24 or 25 at the time, and I was like, It’s a point in my life where I don’t want to have to rely on my parents for anything.”
The consequences of which led him to switch his field and become a mortgage loan officer. He worked at the same CIMG Residential Mortgage where his mother was employed. Though the opportunity to participate again lit his eye, he took the chance after a month of working as a loan officer, and voila!
The attempt to regain confidence worked out for him, and soon he became a PGA Tour professional. Now, with the 2025 season, he is among the top names that might etch his name in the history books. With significant sacrifices and hardship from parents, the golfer has now started to create his path towards glory.
The post Meet Ben Griffin’s Parents, Cowan & Erica Griffin: Personal Life, Career & More Details About PGA Tour Star’s Family appeared first on EssentiallySports.