What does it take for a rising star to catch the eye of a Ryder Cup captain? Let us tell you – sometimes it’s as simple as being a guy who was selling mortgages three years ago casually outplaying the World No. 1! Do this while your captain nods approvingly from the gallery. We all know Ben Griffin has been the story of 2025, but his latest performance at The Memorial Tournament just wrote a new chapter. The 29-year-old North Carolina native sits just one shot behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler heading into Sunday’s final round, and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is paying close attention.“Great. I don’t know, Ben Griffin’s playing really well, but I feel like I got myself back in the tournament. I can’t control what he does. But proud of the way I played today,” Bradley said after Saturday’s round when asked about his T4 finish after 54 holes and his day. When a Ryder Cup captain mentions explicitly a player unprompted during his post-round interview, that’s not a coincidence. That’s evaluation. He even congratulated Griffin after hs Charles Schwab Challenge win.Griffin’s positioning at Memorial has intensified speculation about his Ryder Cup prospects. Currently sitting 13th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings with 5,143 points, Griffin finds himself squarely in captain’s pick territory. The qualification system awards automatic spots to the top six players, leaving six discretionary selections for Bradley. The praise, honestly, comes at the right time for the young golfer as he recently, in an interview with Mirror U.S. Sports, admitted wanting to play boldly at the Bethpage Black.Wanting to make it to the Ryder Cup wasn’t something he was thinking of at the start of the season. However, it is a tangible goal for him now, so he wants to demonstrate his worth to the captain. “I’d say it’s more emerged [as a possibility]. I think it’s almost on every golfer’s radar. Now, being on the team is a completely different thing. You’ve got to prove it. You’ve got to prove yourself to belong on that team. And for me, personally, who I want on that team and who Keegan wants on that team are the 12 best players. And he’s got a lot of results he can look at to build that roster,” Griffin said.“All I can do is try to earn my way on that team and continue to play really well. I don’t want to be on that team if I’m not a top, elite player. I want to make sure I’m one of the best golfers in the world to be on that team. So I don’t want any sort of handouts. That’s not how any of this works. I’m not going to mooch or anything like that.” This year, Griffin has shown his worth and has proved himself to be one of the elite players. From being a 0x Tour winner, he went on to become a 2x Tour winner.“I don’t want to be on a Ryder Cup team just to be on a Ryder Cup team. I want to be on the Ryder Cup team because I want to be a stone-cold killer who’s trying to beat the European team and win points. If I’m not thinking that way, I don’t want to be on that team. Let’s say I’m 15th in the standings and Keegan thinks I should be on that team,” he said. This year, the Team US will be on the hunt to avenge the Marco Simone loss, andit will need the best players to do so.“I don’t want to be on that team unless I believe that I’m going to win points and beat their best player, beat Roy McIlroy if I’m in a singles match with him,” he said, beaming with confidence. “I’m there right now mentally that I can do it. I just need to continue to prove myself this summer in the major and big-time events coming up that I belong. I need to continue to do the same things to keep my game sharp because I want to be extremely sharp in September once I earn my way on that team.” Ben Griffin of the United States poses for a photo with the Leonard Trophy and the M.L. Leddy’s trophyHis recent ascent from 18th to 13th, following his victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge, demonstrates the momentum Griffin has built throughout 2025. He stands as the only American golfer besides Scheffler with multiple PGA Tour victories this season. Golf analysts have labeled him a “dark horse” candidate, with some suggesting that if the team were selected today, Griffin would earn a spot.The mathematical reality paints an intriguing picture for automatic qualification. Griffin trails sixth-place Russell Henley by approximately $2.7 million in prize money. However, a Memorial victory worth roughly $4 million could potentially catapult Griffin into automatic qualification territory, eliminating speculation about the captain’s pick. But this journey hasn’t been easy for Griffin. 2025 has been a breakthrough season for him.Ben Griffin’s breakthrough season sparked the Ryder Cup conversationGriffin’s Ryder Cup candidacy didn’t emerge overnight. His transformation from relative unknown to legitimate contender can be traced to a remarkable four-week span that reshaped his career trajectory. The foundation was laid at the Zurich Classic in April, where Griffin partnered with Andrew Novak to capture his first PGA Tour victory in the team format.The speculation intensified dramatically following Griffin’s triumph at Colonial in May. His ability to close out tournaments under pressure caught the attention of golf media and fans alike. “I feel like now that I’ve done it a couple of times, I just feel super confident in my ability down the stretch,” Griffin explained after his Colonial victory.Griffin’s T8 finish at the PGA Championship added major championship credibility to his resume. Combined with his consistent top-10 finishes throughout 2025, including results at the Mexico Open and Cognizant Classic, Griffin has demonstrated the sustained excellence that Ryder Cup captains value highly.His current positioning at Memorial provides the perfect platform for solidifying his case. Sunday’s head-to-head battle with Scheffler under Bradley’s watchful eye could define his international aspirations. With qualification extending through August’s BMW Championship, Griffin has multiple opportunities ahead, but this weekend represents his most visible audition yet.The post Ben Griffin Given Big Stamp of Approval for Ryder Cup as He Proves His Worth Alongside Scottie Scheffler & Co. appeared first on EssentiallySports.