Golf is full of bizarre stories, but this one might take the prize for the 2025 PGA Tour season. Ben Griffin, fresh off a top-20 finish at the BMW Championship, says the reason he four-putted from five feet on his opening hole was… creatine. Yes, the supplement.
Griffin started his final round at Caves Valley Golf Club looking like a man who had never held a putter. A four-putt triple bogey on the first. A double bogey on the second. Another dropped shot on the third. At three holes in, it looked like his round — and maybe his Ryder Cup hopes — were completely derailed.
Then came the explanation. After the round, Griffin revealed he had “basically overdosed” on creatine when he swallowed what he described as a “snowball” chunk of the supplement that had been sitting in his container for weeks.
“I’ve never overdosed on creatine before, but I think I did in the moment,” Griffin said. “I started getting super shaky. I felt like I had tremors. I four-putted one, and on two, I was freaking out and didn’t know what to do.”
From Meltdown to Recovery
Luckily for Griffin, his caddie stepped in and told him to chug water, which calmed him down. From there, his game returned. After his nightmare start, Griffin ripped off six birdies over his final 15 holes, finishing with a one-under 69 — a comeback round that turned a disaster into a respectable performance.
“I was fine after the second shot on two,” Griffin said. “I felt good, so I went about my day and got it back to under par. Pretty crazy story. I don’t think I’ll be taking too much creatine in the future.”
You don’t often hear a pro athlete admit to swallowing a clump of workout powder and blaming it for shaky hands and missed putts on national television. But, golf is mental, and a sudden case of the tremors will do you in every time.
Ryder Cup Stakes Looming
For Ben Griffin, the episode came at a critical time. He was already locked into the Tour Championship, but the BMW was his last chance to secure an automatic Ryder Cup spot. After his chaotic start, his six-under finish wasn’t quite enough to move him into the top six, meaning he’ll now be hoping for a captain’s pick from Keegan Bradley.
“I knew I needed to shoot about eight under,” Griffin admitted. “Basically did that on the last 15. You’ve got to do better on the first few. Lesson learned. Hopefully, I play really well next week and leave the captain with no choice.”
Crazy start, strong finish, and one unforgettable quote: “I overdosed on creatine.” If Griffin does make Team USA, you can bet the Ryder Cup locker room will never let him live this one down.
