After taking a four-year break from the game, multiple PGA Tour champion Ben Griffin's comeback story continues to gather momentum, as the former loan officer finds himself bang in contention for the US Open title.
After Griffin gave up golf in 2021 to work for a mortgage group, the 29-year-old has returned with a fire in his belly, winning this season's Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Charles Schwab Challenge.
Having done so with a ball that has kind of been forgotten, could another comeback be on the cards... for Maxfli?
Had you found a Maxfli golf ball in the rough in the 90s, you'd have picked it up and put it in your bag - it was one that rivaled Titleist as the best and most popular in the game.
However, after the release of the Titleist Pro V1, wound golf balls died a slow death. The Maxfli brand was ultimately sold to TaylorMade in 2002 and again six years later to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
What's this all got to do with Griffin? Well, he's playing with a Maxfli golf ball, of course.
He became interested in the ball when Major champion Lexi Thompson signed a deal with the manufacturer and, in May 2024, he did the same.
The American, who plays the Maxfli Tour X golf ball, said: "Lexi drew my interest to the ball initially.
"I saw she was playing it and my caddie, who used to caddie for Lexi’s brother Curtis, thought I should at least test out the Maxfli to see how it performed.
"It was roughly eight yards additional during preliminary testing. Around the green, I didn’t see a ton of differences across balls.
"That’s when the distance side really started to intrigue me. There are certain weeks out here when distance has kind of turned into a priority."
Griffin's victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he teamed up with Andrew Novak, was the brand's first win on the PGA Tour in 22 years.
Should the man from Chapel Hill, North Carolina lift the US Open trophy on Sunday, he will be have become the first golfer to win a Major Championship with a Maxfli ball since Greg Norman lifted the Claret Jug in 1993.
A four-piece ball that features a soft urethane cover, during testing we were particularly impressed with its distance off the tee, as well as its performance in windy conditions.
It's also worth pointing out that this ball is significantly cheaper than the best premium golf balls on the market.
