Mack Tour rookie crew dominating Canadian circuit

At 22, Ben Griffin is the youngest player to win on the Mackenzie Tour this season.

By just a couple of months. The kids are definitely making noise on the Canadian circuit this season, with three of the top five money winners aged 24 or younger.

Some of them have even formed their own crew, known as the Mack Tour Rooks, a bunch of former college buddies who are turning this season into one long guys trip.

“There are about 15 or 20 of us who are just out of school,” said Griffin. “We all knew each other from college golf and even junior golf. We’ve all kind of stayed in touch with each other throughout our travels. We try to stick together and hang out together. We’re almost like a little squad trying to team up against the older guys out there.”

It’s a unique dynamic: a bunch of guys who are both competitors as well as a support system. As much as they’re trying to beat each other on the course, they also get to rely on each other off of it. After all, nobody understands what it’s like to be a guy on the Canadian tour than another guy on the Canadian tour.

“It’s kind of fun,” said Griffin. “We pull for each other and hope we all do well. Just about every week we’re rooming with one other guy at least. We’re all pretty good friends.”

For an upcoming tournament in Montreal, they booked an Airbnb that will host 10 of them.

“We’re just trying to play as good as we can and have as much fun as we can while we’re young.”

Scoring his first win two weeks ago served as a major breakthrough for Griffin, who grew up in North Carolina. When the pressure was on, he shot a 30 on the back nine to close the deal, proving to himself and everyone else he’s for real.

“I couldn’t believe the back nine, when it all came down to the wire,” he said.

“To get that first professional win was a huge relief. It took a lot of pressure off me, because I know the rest of the season, there is nothing to lose. It takes the pressure off me moving forward financially and in terms of my confidence — I’m feeling really good about my game and excited for the rest of the year.”

Finishing top-five on the money list means either an automatic berth on the Web Tour (for first), or conditional status and a trip to the final stage of Web Q school for second and lower. It’s a major incentive, and a tight race, with five events left in the season.

“Anyone in the top five who picks up one more win is locked into the top five,” said Griffin, whose recent win vaulted him up to fifth.

“Then again, anyone in the top five who doesn’t play well could fall out, too. A lot of things can still happen.”

He doesn’t have to look very far to see that finishing near the top of the money list in Canada can be a major stepping stone.

Aaron Wise won the inaugural Syncrude tournament in Edmonton in 2016 as a 20-year-old, and two years later, he earned US$1.3 million for his victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

“A lot of the guys on this tour are very capable of being on the PGA Tour,” Griffin said. “It’s just a matter of time.”

DID YOU KNOW

There are 25 Canadians in the

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field this week, the most in any event so far this season.

How ’s this for a tough field: Greyson

■ Sigg has shot par or better in every Mackenzie Tour round he’s played this season (24), and 19 of those rounds he has scored in the 60s. His average score is 68.21. And that’s only good enough for 15th on the money list.

Michael Gellerman is on a roll.

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Five of his last eight rounds have been 66 or lower. He’s finished T6 and second in his last two outings.