Griffin Overcomes Creatine Episode to Qualify for Tour Championship

Ben Griffin’s bid at the BMW Championship took a startling turn on Sunday when a creatine-related episode contributed to a disastrous start, yet he recovered to post a 1-under 69 and secure a place at the Tour Championship while keeping his Ryder Cup hopes alive. Griffin opened with a four-putt from inside five feet, an out-of-bounds tee shot on the second, and a third hole bogey, all capped by a triple bogey on the opening hole. After a conversation with his caddie and a rapid water reset, he steadied himself and finished strong, ending the week 3-under and successfully climbing into the field for Atlanta.

Griffin described a bizarre sequence in which he prepared for the round with a “snowball” of creatine at the bottom of his water bottle. He said he began taking the supplement around the second hole and, in a moment of misfortune, swallowed an undissolved chunk. The sudden reaction left him shakily unable to settle his mechanism for several holes, with tremors that he hadn’t experienced on a course before. His caddie, Adam Ritthamel, intervened, forcing him to pause, hydrate, and reset. The moment underscored the unusual pressures athletes face when balancing...