Ben Griffin isn't supposed to be here. Not really. A few years ago, he was literally working as a loan officer, crunching numbers behind a desk because the pro golf dream felt like a dead end. But on a wind-whipped Sunday at Colonial, the guy who almost walked away from the game finally grabbed the trophy—and the keys to a custom 1975 Schwab Firebird.
The charles schwab challenge 2025 leaderboard ended with Griffin at 12-under par, but that number doesn't even come close to telling the full story of what happened in Fort Worth.
A Brutal Sunday at Hogan's Alley
Colonial Country Club is always a beast, but the final round was something else. We're talking 30 mph wind gusts that made the "Horrible Horseshoe" (holes 3, 4, and 5) look like a graveyard for scorecards. Griffin started the day with a massive five-shot lead after just five holes. Most people watching probably thought it was over. Honestly, I did too.
But golf is never that simple.
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Matti Schmid, the 27-year-old German looking for his own breakthrough, just wouldn't go away. While Griffin was struggling to find fairways—he only hit four of 14 all day—Schmid kept chipping away. By the time they reached the 16th, that five-shot cushion had evaporated to a single stroke.
It was messy. It was tense. It was exactly what you want from a tournament at a place nicknamed Hogan's Alley.
The Final Standings
If you just want the raw data from the charles schwab challenge 2025 leaderboard, here is how the top of the pack shook out after 72 holes of grind:
Ben Griffin took the top spot at 12-under 268, pocketing a cool $1,710,000. Matti Schmid finished solo second at 11-under, falling just one short after an incredible birdie on the last hole. Bud Cauley took third place at 9-under, which is a huge story in its own right considering the injury hell he's been through.
Then you had the big names. Tommy Fleetwood and Scottie Scheffler tied for fourth at 8-under. Fleetwood continues his streak of "best player without a PGA Tour win," which is getting kinda painful to watch at this point. Scheffler, the local favorite, basically lost the tournament on Friday when he couldn't get anything going, though he roared back with a 64 on Saturday to make things interesting.
Further down the list, a massive group tied for sixth at 7-under, including Aldrich Potgieter, Harry Hall, J.J. Spaun, Ryo Hisatsune, and Robert MacIntyre. It was a crowded house for those FedEx Cup points.
Why Ben Griffin's Win Matters
This wasn't just another trophy for the shelf. For Griffin, this was validation. He had already won a team event at the Zurich Classic with Andrew Novak, but winning an individual title at a historic venue like Colonial is a different level of prestige.
You’ve gotta love the grit he showed on the 18th.
He was standing in a bunker with the ball way above his feet, choking down on the club, just trying to get a par to win. He made a testy 4-footer to seal it. He later admitted it felt like playing "whack-a-mole" out there. That’s the most honest description of professional golf I’ve heard in a long time.
The Scottie Scheffler Factor
Look, any time Scottie Scheffler is in the field, he's the story. Coming off a crazy stretch in early 2025, everyone expected him to dominate his home turf. But Colonial is a different kind of test. It demands precision over power.
Scheffler’s weekend was a rollercoaster:
- Thursday: A steady 68.
- Friday: A frustrating 71 that felt like it killed his chances.
- Saturday: A vintage 64 that put the leaders on notice.
- Sunday: A 69 that just wasn't enough to catch a red-hot Griffin.
Even when he doesn't have his "A" game for all four days, he still finishes T4. It's getting ridiculous.
The Payout and the Points
The purse for the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge was $9.5 million. It's a nice jump from the previous year. Along with the cash, Griffin took home 500 FedEx Cup points, which basically cements his spot in the playoffs and the big-money Signature Events for 2026.
Matti Schmid didn't leave empty-handed, taking over $1 million for his second-place finish. Bud Cauley's $655,500 payday is his biggest in years.
But let's be real—the car is the coolest part. Schwab gives the winner a fully restored classic, and the 1975 Firebird Griffin rolled away in is easily the best trophy on tour.
What Most Fans Missed
The leaderboard doesn't show the heartbreak of the "Aon Swing 5." This tournament was the final chance for players to play their way into the Memorial Tournament.
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Guys like Maverick McNealy and J.J. Spaun were grinding for every single stroke not just for the check, but for the invite to Muirfield Village. When you see a guy celebrate a par for 22nd place, that’s usually why.
Also, Rickie Fowler’s struggles continued. He was in the mix early but a "7" on the par-5 11th on Sunday sent him tumbling down to T16. He’s currently ranked outside the top 100, and you can see the frustration on his face. He needs a spark, and Colonial wasn't it.
Actionable Insights for Golf Fans
If you're following the tour after the charles schwab challenge 2025 leaderboard settled, here is what you should keep an eye on:
- The Ben Griffin Surge: Watch how he handles the pressure of being a "winner" now. He's got the game for tight, tactical courses.
- Matti Schmid's Breakthrough: He’s knocking on the door. He’s a name to circle for the European swing later this summer.
- The Memorial Field: Check the final FedEx Cup standings to see who grabbed those last few spots for Jack Nicklaus's tournament next week.
- Colonial’s New Look: The recent restoration of the course clearly rewarded accuracy over distance this year. Keep that in mind when betting or picking fantasy lineups for next year.
The PGA Tour now moves on to Dublin, Ohio, for the Memorial. If Griffin can carry this momentum into a Signature Event, we might be looking at a new star in the making.
To keep up with how these rankings affect the rest of the season, you should check the updated FedEx Cup standings before the next tee time. You can also look back at the hole-by-hole stats for the "Horrible Horseshoe" to see exactly where the field lost the most strokes this year.