Catching Up with Lanto Griffin: New Tour player wins his first Houston Open

Golf fans will not soon forget Dormie Network Ambassador Lanto Griffin’s emotional first PGA Tour victory at the Houston Open October 10–13.

Locked in a tight race on Sunday’s back nine at the Golf Club of Houston, Griffin regained the lead with a 35-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole; then drained a clutch, six-footer for par on 18, giving him a 3-under 69 and a one-shot win over Mark Hubbard and Scott Harrington.

When his final putt found the cup, Griffin, 31, dropped his putter and raised both arms in celebration, before burying his head in his caddie Chris Nash’s shoulder and sobbing. His girlfriend, Maya, an attorney in Charlotte, N.C., gave him a kiss. “I am so proud of you,” she said. He hugged his mother, Julie, and thought of his late father, Michael, who died from brain cancer when Griffin was just 12 years old.

“This is going to be a week that I’ll never, never forget—regardless what happens the rest of my career,” Griffin said. “I feel fortunate beyond words.”

Griffin’s whirlwind week highlighted what has already been a banner 2019. In April, he won his second-career Korn Ferry Tour title in a playoff at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship—one of four top-10 finishes during the 2018–19 season. Griffin finished second at the Dormie Classic at Briggs Ranch to ultimately lock up his PGA Tour card for the second time. He previously notched one top-25 as a rookie during the 2017–2018 season.

His win in Houston earned Griffin not only a check for $1.3 million in first-place prize money, but also a two-year PGA Tour exemption through 2022. It also secured a spot in the Masters, The Players Championship, the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui and other select events. “I get to go to Hawaii for two weeks now?” Griffin said. “It’s mind-boggling.”

A few days after his life-changing victory, Dormie Network caught up with Griffin, who told us the past week, “still doesn’t feel real.”

Dormie Network: How did you celebrate Sunday night?

Lanto Griffin: “I had an 8 p.m. direct flight home Sunday night. The only way I was going to miss it is if I won—which never really crossed my mind before Saturday’s 65. When [Houston Astros owner] Jim Crane presented me the trophy, I told him I missed my flight and jokingly asked him if he had extra tickets to the Yankees-Astros [American League Championship Series] Game Two that was about to start. He said he could probably work that out.

“I had dinner with my girlfriend, caddie, cousin, and her husband at the course, and then we caught the end of the game and witnessed the walk-off home run for the home win! The tournament lined up the presidential suite at the Four Seasons Hotel near the stadium. It was the perfect ending to a life-changing weekend.”

DN: You were supported by friends and family in Houston; could you also feel your father’s presence during the week?

LG: “I always feel his presence—not a day goes by without thinking about my dad. I wish he could watch me play one round, since he never got to see me play competitively. I would never have played golf if he hadn’t gotten sick: I put travel soccer and travel baseball on hold, but there was a 9-hole golf course near my house that I could walk to. The rest is history.”

DN: What have the past few days been like?

LG: “They’ve been insane—I had eight straight hours of interviews on Tuesday. The outpouring of support has been incredible. I’ve received well over 1,000 texts and hundreds of social media messages. It’s been a lot of fun reading them all!"

DN: What’s been the most important factor in your recent success?

LG: “My recent dedication to the short game has led to huge improvement.”

DN: When will you tee it up again on the Tour?

LG: “I’m playing Bermuda, Mexico, and Sea Island to finish 2019. But first I’m going back to southwest Virginia to celebrate with the village who raised me at Blacksburg Country Club.”

DN: Is it true that you never won a collegiate event at VCU?

LG: “Yes, that’s correct—I had 15 top 5s without a W. My first win was a SwingThought Tour winter series event in Orlando in 2013. In 2015, I broke through and won four times on mini tours, including the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia at Ballyhack.”

DN: Any special people you’d like to thank?

LG: “I’m working hard to buy my mom her dream car—it’ll happen soon! After the Greenbriar, I put [long-time mentor and junior coach] Steve Prater on payroll, and I threw in a win bonus after Houston. These two things are the most special to me.”

DN: Any other thoughts to add, or things that people may not know about you?

LG: “For the last 15–20 years, I’ve dreamed about winning on the PGA Tour and always wondered what it would feel like. I can confirm it’s the most gratifying feeling I’ve ever felt. Thinking back to all the hard work, long hours on the range, the many, many lows, it’s all justified now. One thing that I can assure everyone is that this win won’t change me as a person. I’m looking forward to celebrating with all the Dormie folks at Briggs Ranch in November for the Ambassador event!”