Deadspin | Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak have fond memories entering Zurich defense 
Apr 27, 2025; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak had the honor of experiencing a golf rarity at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
They each earned their first PGA Tour wins simultaneously in the team-based event.
Twelve months later, the pair reunites at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. this week with fond memories of last year’s one-stroke victory over Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.
“In golf, you really don’t get to do (win) much. Unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or Rory (McIlroy) or one of those lucky freaks, you don’t win that much,” Novak said at the pair’s Tuesday press conference. “I hadn’t won since before COVID on the Korn Ferry Tour. So just the fact that I got to go lift a trophy and be a winner for that week was pretty special, because I had done multiple years of not doing that.”
Novak, 31, and Griffin, 29, turned pro in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They credit their extensive friendship dating back to playing junior golf together as natives of the North Carolina Research Triangle with what makes their partnership work.
“We (have) just played a lot of golf together. We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said of their chemistry. “It’s not like we’re just a random team that kind of comes about, and you kind of have expectations of the other guy and maybe there’s a little bit of added pressure because you want to hit perfect shots for your partner.”
Coming off their dual debut PGA win, Griffin found more success the rest of the season than Novak. He followed with his first solo tour win less than a month later at the Charles Schwab Challenge and also won the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 10th in the FedEx Cup rankings.
“Just built a lot of confidence,” Griffin said of how he carried over the momentum of his Zurich win. “… I knew I was starting to play some really good golf and just wanted to keep playing as many events as I possibly can. Just felt that confident in my game, and I just wanted (to) keep giving myself chances.
“Didn’t take long to win again, and a lot of it was kind of being freed up from finally winning on tour and having the job security and not really thinking about a whole lot except trying to compete against the best in the world and try to beat them.”
Novak hasn’t won again on tour in the 12 months since, but he carries better recent form into this week’s event. He’s coming off a T16 in last week’s RBC Heritage and has three top-20 finishes as well as a top-10 this season.
Griffin has made eight of 11 cuts this season but is still looking for his first top-10 finish and has just one top-20 in his first event of the season back in January.
Novak admitted he arrived at this week’s event with a different vibe after last year’s Zurich success.
“I do think walking into the clubhouse today and pulling in and registering, it does feel a little bit different. Just a little bit more confidence coming in here,” Novak said. “… It is a nice little different vibe. A little bit of extra confidence coming into this week. It’s still a golf tournament. We’re going to have to go out. We don’t win just because we show up. We’re going to have to play well. I think vibes are good.”
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Ben #Griffin #Andrew #Novak #fond #memories #entering #Zurich #defense
Apr 27, 2025; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak had the honor of experiencing a golf rarity at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
They each earned their first PGA Tour wins simultaneously in the team-based event.
Twelve months later, the pair reunites at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. this week with fond memories of last year’s one-stroke victory over Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.
“In golf, you really don’t get to do (win) much. Unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or Rory (McIlroy) or one of those lucky freaks, you don’t win that much,” Novak said at the pair’s Tuesday press conference. “I hadn’t won since before COVID on the Korn Ferry Tour. So just the fact that I got to go lift a trophy and be a winner for that week was pretty special, because I had done multiple years of not doing that.”
Novak, 31, and Griffin, 29, turned pro in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They credit their extensive friendship dating back to playing junior golf together as natives of the North Carolina Research Triangle with what makes their partnership work.
“We (have) just played a lot of golf together. We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said of their chemistry. “It’s not like we’re just a random team that kind of comes about, and you kind of have expectations of the other guy and maybe there’s a little bit of added pressure because you want to hit perfect shots for your partner.”
Coming off their dual debut PGA win, Griffin found more success the rest of the season than Novak. He followed with his first solo tour win less than a month later at the Charles Schwab Challenge and also won the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 10th in the FedEx Cup rankings.
“Just built a lot of confidence,” Griffin said of how he carried over the momentum of his Zurich win. “… I knew I was starting to play some really good golf and just wanted to keep playing as many events as I possibly can. Just felt that confident in my game, and I just wanted (to) keep giving myself chances.
“Didn’t take long to win again, and a lot of it was kind of being freed up from finally winning on tour and having the job security and not really thinking about a whole lot except trying to compete against the best in the world and try to beat them.”
Novak hasn’t won again on tour in the 12 months since, but he carries better recent form into this week’s event. He’s coming off a T16 in last week’s RBC Heritage and has three top-20 finishes as well as a top-10 this season.
Griffin has made eight of 11 cuts this season but is still looking for his first top-10 finish and has just one top-20 in his first event of the season back in January.
Novak admitted he arrived at this week’s event with a different vibe after last year’s Zurich success.
“I do think walking into the clubhouse today and pulling in and registering, it does feel a little bit different. Just a little bit more confidence coming in here,” Novak said. “… It is a nice little different vibe. A little bit of extra confidence coming into this week. It’s still a golf tournament. We’re going to have to go out. We don’t win just because we show up. We’re going to have to play well. I think vibes are good.”
–Field Level Media
![Real Salt Lake vs Inter Miami — Herons look for another win with Messi in red-hot form Inter Miami has passed its first test since the surprise departure of coach Javier Mascherano. As interim coach Guillermo Hoyos would attest, having Lionel Messi at his peak helps.The Herons complete a two-game trip through the Rocky Mountains when they play Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.Messi scored on a penalty kick in the 18th minute and set up his own game- winner with a nifty run in the 79th minute of Miami’s 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids Saturday. The match was played at the Denver Broncos’ stadium before an audience of 75,824 fans.That was the first outing for Miami (4-1-3, 15 points) since Mascherano announced his resignation, citing “personal reasons,” mere months after he guided the club to the MLS Cup title.“The best coach in the world is on the pitch,” Hoyos said afterward. “We have the best player in history who changes the course of matches and a team that gave everything football-wise.”Hoyos was Miami’s sporting director before stepping in for Mascherano. With the Herons now second in the Eastern Conference, it’s his task now to keep the club on a stable path.“This result means a continuity of what was being done,” Hoyos said.His side will have a quick turnaround to face Real Salt Lake (RSL) [5-1-1, 16 points], which has begun a three-game homestand with two-goal wins over Sporting Kansas City and San Diego FC.Diego Luna scored within the first five minutes of each match and Sergi Solans struck three goals in that span. The high-powered offense was just what RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni wanted to see.“We have to bring the fans into the game and be electric and front-footed,” Mastroeni said before the San Diego game. “Both (San Diego and Miami) offer opportunities in transition and we’ve improved drastically in that area.”Neither RSL nor Miami has lost since dropping their respective season openers Feb. 21. They’ve each scored 16 goals on the year, Messi accounting for seven of Miami’s and Solans scoring five for RSL.Messi’s co-star Luis Suarez could draw back in after not being utilised against Colorado.Meanwhile, Miami forward Mateo Silvetti (hamstring) participated in practice Monday, per the Miami Herald, and his status for the match is up in the air. The 20-year-old has scored two goals.Published on Apr 22, 2026 #Real #Salt #Lake #Inter #Miami #Herons #win #Messi #redhot #form](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/q8mv11/article70891278.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/2271961678.jpg?ssl=1 "Real Salt Lake vs Inter Miami — Herons look for another win with Messi in red-hot form Inter Miami has passed its first test since the surprise departure of coach Javier Mascherano. As interim coach Guillermo Hoyos would attest, having Lionel Messi at his peak helps.The Herons complete a two-game trip through the Rocky Mountains when they play Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.Messi scored on a penalty kick in the 18th minute and set up his own game- winner with a nifty run in the 79th minute of Miami’s 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids Saturday. The match was played at the Denver Broncos’ stadium before an audience of 75,824 fans.That was the first outing for Miami (4-1-3, 15 points) since Mascherano announced his resignation, citing “personal reasons,” mere months after he guided the club to the MLS Cup title.“The best coach in the world is on the pitch,” Hoyos said afterward. “We have the best player in history who changes the course of matches and a team that gave everything football-wise.”Hoyos was Miami’s sporting director before stepping in for Mascherano. With the Herons now second in the Eastern Conference, it’s his task now to keep the club on a stable path.“This result means a continuity of what was being done,” Hoyos said.His side will have a quick turnaround to face Real Salt Lake (RSL) [5-1-1, 16 points], which has begun a three-game homestand with two-goal wins over Sporting Kansas City and San Diego FC.Diego Luna scored within the first five minutes of each match and Sergi Solans struck three goals in that span. The high-powered offense was just what RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni wanted to see.“We have to bring the fans into the game and be electric and front-footed,” Mastroeni said before the San Diego game. “Both (San Diego and Miami) offer opportunities in transition and we’ve improved drastically in that area.”Neither RSL nor Miami has lost since dropping their respective season openers Feb. 21. They’ve each scored 16 goals on the year, Messi accounting for seven of Miami’s and Solans scoring five for RSL.Messi’s co-star Luis Suarez could draw back in after not being utilised against Colorado.Meanwhile, Miami forward Mateo Silvetti (hamstring) participated in practice Monday, per the Miami Herald, and his status for the match is up in the air. The 20-year-old has scored two goals.Published on Apr 22, 2026 #Real #Salt #Lake #Inter #Miami #Herons #win #Messi #redhot #form")
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