Everything that could go wrong for Ben Griffin did at the 2025 BMW Championship… and it was all because of a “large rock” of creatine. Following the Sunday round, Griffin said he mixed a clump of coagulated creatine from the jar into his water bottle before Sunday’s round. On the first hole, he took a gulp and accidentally inhaled some creatine. After that, he “started getting super shaky” and even “had tremors.”

He still walked out unscathed, but was it legal? It is, but shouldn’t be, say golf analysts. On a recent episode of Fore Play Podcast Plus, Frankie begins, “I was wondering if that, like, is within the rules of golf to be able to do something, right?” Riggs agreed with the sentiment, saying, “I was a little surprised that you could take something that can alter your state that much and that that’s, like, allowed.” 

Creatine’s a dietary supplement that boosts muscle mass and performance, and it’s totally legal in golf. Golf’s governing bodies like the International Golf Federation (IGF), U.S. Golf Association (USGA), and PGA TOUR follow World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, banning stuff like performance-enhancing steroids, stimulants, and hormones.

Griffin’s ‘overdose’ should have sparked a response from the PGA Tour, the analysts argue. “Like, how could there be something allowed that you could take that could f–k up your state so much that he’s four-putting and hitting shots out of bounds for, like, 30 minutes?” asks Riggs. “I wondered about the drug, um, like, testing in golf and what the guidelines are and rules are for it because it’s a sport,” Frankie says and adds, “There’s got to be, right? There’s got to be some sort of doping rules that you can’t, um, break.” 

Good point, but the PGA Tour has yet to answer this one.

On the other hand, Griffin did agree that this little mistake did cost him dearly. On Sunday, Griffin had a crazy start with a four-putt on the par-four first hole and hitting out of bounds on the second. Despite being six over par for the first three holes, he recovered to card a one-under 69 with seven birdies. He ended up tying for 12th place at three under par.

Griffin agreed this was a mistake and said Sunday evening, “I don’t think I’ll be taking too much creatine in the future,” but still dismissed any concerns regarding the same and stated, “I’ve taken it on the golf course before. It’s fine.” Creatine is a popular supplement among gym enthusiasts. According to Harvard Health, it “contributes to rapid energy production and may enhance power or speed bursts requiring short periods of anaerobic activity.” 

Rory McIlroy is a notable name who is known to have 20 grams of creatine per day, helping him maintain mental sharpness during his plays.

Nevertheless, despite the controversy, Ben Griffin is moving on – starting with a (hopeful) strong run at the TOUR Championship.

Ben Griffin is looking ahead to the TOUR Championship

Ben Griffin’s gearing up for the Tour Championship at East Lake this week – his first time competing in the event in the past five years. “Pretty cool. Pretty proud of myself. Excited to go to the TOUR Championship,” he said following his disaster Sunday at the BMW Championship. The top 30 players in the FedExCup standings will duke it out for the season’s final prize, and Griffin’s part of that elite group.

Stats-wise, Griffin’s strong in approach shots (0.439 Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, 27th) and putting (0.336 Strokes Gained: Putting, 23rd).

On the other hand, Griffin’s had a killer season – wins at the Zurich Classic and Charles Schwab Challenge, plus top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He’s climbed to No. 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). And that is enough to boost his confidence for another big thing in the upcoming weeks: the Ryder Cup.

Now, thanks to his stellar performance, Griffin sits ninth in the Ryder Cup standings, though he’ll need a captain’s pick from Keegan Bradley to make the team. Griffin had a shot at auto-qualifying for the Ryder Cup on Sunday but came up short. “You got to do better on the first few,” Griffin said. “Lesson learned.” Indeed, that does seem to be the case.