The 2025 PGA Tour season wrapped up at the RSM Classic, where Sami Valimaki claimed the final event of the year.
It has been a memorable year across professional golf, from Rory McIlroy’s Masters win to Scottie Scheffler’s sustained excellence.
But it was not just the established names making headlines – a number of new faces also made their mark near the top of leaderboards throughout the season.
In that context, golf journalist Rex Hoggard has named his pick for PGA Tour newcomer of the year.
Ben Griffin picked as breakout player of the year by Rex Hoggard
Ben Griffin had already made a name for himself on the PGA Tour, wrapping up 2024 ranked 65th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
But he had not broken through with a win or even made a major cut until this season.
This year, he picked up three wins: the Zurich Classic alongside Andrew Novak, the Charles Schwab Challenge, and the World Wide Technology Championship.
Griffin also earned a spot on the US Ryder Cup team and stood out in what was otherwise a tough event for the US at Bethpage Black.
Hoggard opened up on his pick, saying: “It was Ben Griffin. And I don’t even know if that qualifies. However, he had not won before this season.
“I go back to last fall; I’ve used this as an example of what it means to get inside that 51 to 60 category, and Ben did that last year.
“So he got into those first two signature events of this season, and he was really able to turn that into a career year. He ended up winning three times on the PGA Tour.
“I would argue he was one of two highlights for the US team at the Ryder Cup, and I think he became a legitimate superstar, which he wasn’t before this year. So he would be mine.”
Ben Griffin’s 2025 PGA Tour prize money
Prize money often reflects a player’s impact on the season, and Griffin finished the year with some impressive earnings.
He ranked sixth in total prize money for 2025, trailing only players like McIlroy, Scheffler, and Tommy Fleetwood.
While his three wins contributed significantly to his total, Griffin also put together two notable performances at majors.
He tied for eighth at the PGA Championship and finished T10 at the US Open, each bringing in six-figure payouts.
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