2025 Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard: Ben Griffin hangs on for first individual victory on PGA Tour

Griffin has picked up the first two wins of his PGA Tour career in a one-month span

Ben Griffin broke through with the first win of his PGA Tour career coming last month in a team event alongside Andrew Novak. Twenty-eight days later, Griffin found the winner's circle again on his own merits by never falling behind Sunday at the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge.

Griffin moved as many as five strokes clear of the field Sunday in Fort Worth Texas, before ultimately settling for a one-stroke victory over Matti Schmid, with whom he shared the 54-hole lead. Griffin jumped in front early and never relinquished the solo lead on his way to victory at 12 under.

The American becomes just the fourth player this season to win multiple times on the PGA Tour, joining Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka and Scottie Scheffler. Griffin will climb all the way up to No. 5 in the FedEx Cup standings, assuredly set to make his first appearance at the Tour Championship later this summer where the top 30 will qualify for the postseason finale.

Griffin's win alongside Novak at the Zurich Classic did not come with all the benefits given the event format, but by slipping on the plaid jacket Sunday, he gives himself a chance to slip on a green jacket next April when he drives down Magnolia Lane for his Masters debut. His ascent in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings continues as well.

The win represents the culmination of plenty of hard work for Griffi,n who removed himself from the professional stage a few years ago to focus on a full-time job as a mortgage loan officer. Unimpressed with his 9 to 5, he returned to the game, rededicated himself and can now boast being a multi-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Griffin's climb to the top of the podium appeared to be a sure thing in the early stages of the final round as he started his day eagle, birdie to open up a three-stroke lead over Schmid. The margin grew in the middle portion of his front nine before he hit turbulence coming in, needing to fend off charges from the likes of Bud Cauley and Tommy Fleetwood.

Griffin made consecutive bogeys on Nos. 6-7, watching as Schmid stayed in the fight. Some nice par saves kept his head out in front around the turn before another bogey came calling on the par-3 13th. In trouble off the tee on the next, Griffin gutted out a par as Schmid was unable to do the same.

His advantage returned to three strokes with four holes to play before things got interesting with a two-shot swing on the par-3 16th. Still in need of hitting quality shots coming home to secure the win, Griffin mustered up a par after missing the fairway on the penultimate hole to lock in a two-stroke edge with one to play. 

Griffin, basically guaranteed to raise the trophy at that point, signed for one last par on the heels of a miraculous chip-in birdie from Schmid to secure his title. When the final putt dropped, Griffin grinned, hugged his caddie and threw a fist pump as he knew a second trip to the winner's circle in the last five weeks would be his. This time, it was one all for himself. Grade: A+

Here are the rest of the notable names on the leaderboard at the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge

T4. Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler (-8): The leaderboard shuffled in a way which felt conducive for Fleetwood to post a number and wait in the clubhouse. The Englishman was within three strokes of Griffin when he got to the par-5 11th, but a pulled short iron led to bogey and ultimately sunk his chances. Fleetwood now has 41 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour without a victory. He continues to knock on the door -- will it eventually open? -- but this weekend marks another missed opportunity to enter the winner's circle. Grade: A-

As someone who prides himself on his preparation, Scheffler's early-week activities (or rightful lack thereof) may have had something to do with his slow start. Following the high of raising the Wanamaker Trophy, the world No. 1 stayed away from the golf course on Monday and Tuesday to rest mentally and get back into the swing of things. 

With only nine holes of practice Wednesday, Scheffler sputtered his first two rounds before finding fourth gear Saturday with a third-round 64. Despite the charge up the leaderboard, he found himself a half dozen off the pace; when the putter failed to cooperate in a similar manner Sunday, Scheffler proved unable to make up the gap. While he may not have won his third straight tournament, he did notch his sixth straight top-10 finish.

"I had a really good weekend. I did some good stuff," Scheffler said. "I feel like I could have scored a little better today. Overall, it was a really challenging day. I think Friday probably hurt me in terms of winning this tournament, but overall, three of the four days I played what I felt was pretty solid. Just had one off day, but outside of that, I did some good things this week as well." Grade: B+

T16. Rickie Fowler (-5): Since his win at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Fowler has collected just one top-10 finish with his second appearing to be in view this week before a nervy final round in the final trio out on the golf course. Fowler finds himself in an odd spot with two months left in the season -- narrowly inside the top 100 of the FedEx Cup, continuously getting sponsor invitations into signature events and in need of going through qualifying to get into the U.S. Open. This finish moves him from No. 99 in the season-long race to inside the top 90, which will provide some much-needed breathing room given the top 100 cut-off implemented this season. Grade: B

T36. Jordan Spieth (-2): The 2016 tournament champion gave us a little bit of everything this week. On Thursday, Spieth shined with his approach play. On Friday, he couldn't find the center of the club face with those same tools. The short game came alive on Moving Day before the driver was on a string Sunday. This week was emblematic of Spieth's season as a whole; he flashed brilliance in every aspect of the game but faced difficulties marrying all four areas across all four rounds. He's getting closer by the week as he gets more comfortable following that offseason wrist surgery. Grade: C-

MC. Daniel Berger: A winner at Colonial in the first start out of the COVID-19 restart, Berger arrived this week with good form in tow before a bad start proved more than costly. The four-time PGA Tour winner made five bogeys Thursday and saw his name fall on the wrong side of the cutline Friday afternoon, which represented his first early exit since late January at Torrey Pines. As it has most of his year, Berger's putter was identified as the culprit. He'll need to figure that club out over the summer if he is to return to the winner's circle. Grade: F

[May 25, 2025 at 5:40 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Two-shot swing on No. 16!

This tournament just won't die! Matti Schmid still has a chance — a good one at that. The German knocks one stiff at the par-3 16th while Ben Griffin goes long of the green and is unable to save par this time. The lead is trimmed to just one stroke as the two head to the most difficult hole on the golf course — the par-4 17th

[May 25, 2025 at 5:10 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Big save from Ben!

That might be the par that does it for Ben Griffin. He hits a rope hook off the tee, gets TIO relief from a sign on the 18th tee, chops out his second 30 yards short of the green and is somehow able to save par to a front pin from just about 12 feet. He remains at 13 under and gains a stroke on Matti Schmid who drops another shot. Griffin leads by three four to play.

[May 25, 2025 at 4:27 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Schmid sticking around

After a bad bogey on No. 11, Matt Schmid signs for another birdie on No. 12 thanks to a stellar approach. He gets within two with six holes to play as Ben Griffin's birdie bid hangs out on the right side and does not fall. They now head to No. 13 which could present one of the last few birdie chances given a funnel pin location.

[May 25, 2025 at 3:23 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Griffin leads by two at the turn

This tournament has tightened…FAST. Matti Schmid rolls in another birdie bomb — this time from 30 feet — and he chops into Ben Griffin's lead. Griffin is at 14 under thanks to another nice par save ahead of Schmid at 12 under and Bud Cauley at 10 under who is a couple holes ahead.

[May 25, 2025 at 3:03 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Griffin's lead cut to three

Well, it has been a little ugly as of late, but Griffin still leads by three. A nice up-and-down on No. 8 makes it so he remains at 14 under and off the bogey train, but he is greeted by a birdie from Matti Schmid who is still in this thing at 11 under.

[May 25, 2025 at 2:15 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Griffin five clear with 13 to play

Well, that was a disastrous hole from Matti Schmid and may have just handed the trophy to Ben Griffin. Schmid cards a double bogey on No. 5 after finding the hazard off the tee and is now five strokes clear of Griffin who is 3 under on his day and continuing to play stead golf. He is seven clear of the chasing pack tied for third.

[May 25, 2025 at 1:59 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Rickie rolling in the wrong direction

It's a big day for Rickie Fowler as he does not have a full-time PGA Tour card secured for 2026 and entered the week narrowly inside the top 100 of the FedEx Cup standings. It has been a dreadful start, unfortunately. He is 2 over in his first four holes and now nine strokes behind Ben Griffin. 

[May 25, 2025 at 1:32 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Griffin goes three clear

Well, that was quick. Ben Griffin starts 3-3 and gets to 16 under while his overnight co-leader, Matt Schmid, starts birdie-bogey to remain at 13 under. Suddenly, the lead is three strokes over Schmid and seven strokes over the logjam at 9 under that includes Rickie Fowler.

[May 25, 2025 at 12:49 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Scheffler starts with a circle

He began the day six strokes behind and he makes up ground on the gettable par-5 opener. Scheffler is now only five behind the co-leaders, but more importantly there are only three players between his name and the top of the leaderboard as he finds himself in a share of fourth place.