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From real estate to the Ryder Cup in 3 years.
Anyone who is into watching international golf loves the Ryder Cup every two years, alternating sites across the ocean. It is the golfing version of European soccer.
The best and most hardened golfers from the U.S. and Europe play for their homelands and not the money. And you can tell the difference it makes to them.
The 2025 Ryder Cup ended Sunday on the Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale, New York, where it looked like thousands of people lined both sides of every fairway. The finishing holes were so packed around the greens that it seemed like a soccer stadium, with flags waving, songs belted out, and cheer after cheer after cheer.
The Americans made an amazing rally after falling so far behind the first two days that the Cup was almost out of reach. As it was, the Yanks nearly made the greatest comeback in the history of the event needing to win seven or eight of the 12 Sunday singles to catch the Euros before losing 15 points to 13.
Typical was the explosion of emotion like Shane Lowry after making the clinching birdie putt to assure the winning half point for Europe. The pressure is so steep that you can never tell who is going to play well and who is not.
There was a very special element to this one for us, because Chapel Hill’s Ben Griffin had made the team by qualifying with his fantastic year on the PGA Tour. His first Ryder Cup inexperience kept him out of playing on Friday and Saturday, but his singles match on Sunday loomed very crucial as the score tightened in the late afternoon.
The kid who literally grew up on the Chapel Hill Country Club course and became an all-ACC player for UNC failed to qualify for the PGA Tour in his first few years as a pro. He was so discouraged he left the game in 2022 and worked as a mortgage broker.
He tried again and qualified for his PGA card in his second year back. Ben won three times on the PGA Tour this year and has banked literally millions since he returned to the links and the love of his life.
Just seeing him, cool as a cucumber with those special sunglasses he wears to block chronic floaters, was a thrill. A Tar Heel and Chapel Hillian playing in the greatest tournament in golf and winning his match showed he may very well be on Ryder Cup teams for years to come.
As usual, his fiancé Dana Myerhoff, a Lehigh grad whom he met at a summer kids golf camp, was there watching him win his match. They are due to be married soon, and they look good together.
Despite the loss, it was a gripping and gallant comeback by the Americans and a brief but winning debut for our local guy.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
