LEAP
T
Lanto’s
LANTO GRIFFIN
HAS BIG PLANS AFTER
HIS CAREER-CHANGING
VICTORY IN HOUSTON
ALK ABOUT A LIFE-CHANGER.
When Lanto Griffin rolled in a six-foot par
putt on the 72nd hole to claim his first PGA
Tour victory at the Houston Open on Oct. 13, the
31-year-old from Blacksburg saw his professional golf
career skyrocket.
“This is going to be a week that I will never forget
regardless of what happens the rest of my career,” the
VCU graduate said a few days later.
“It didn’t seem like it would ever happen, but at the
same time I believed in myself,” Griffin said. “I felt
really good over the last putt. I was extremely calm
out there. I never flinched and I felt just bizarre when
it went in.”
In addition to earning a whopping $1.35 million
paycheck, Griffin saw his big-league career cemented
with a full exemption through the end of the 2021-22
wraparound PGA Tour season.
“Basically there are three things that are going to
come out of this,” Griffin said. “One is I’m going to have
a job for the next three years. I’m going to be in the
Masters, Players Championship, PGA Championship
and the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January.
“It’s incredible! Every tournament that I always want-
ed to play in but I haven’t been in I’m going to be in now.
“That’s No. 1,” Griffin noted. “No. 2, financially I’m
going to be able to help my family and help people
close to me.”
Griffin, who lives in Ponte Vedra, Fla., and practices
at TPC Sawgrass, said he got a kick out of being able to
take three of his buddies and pick up the full tab for a
Zac Brown concert a few days following his odds-de-
fying triumph.
“Just being able to do experiences that I never have
been able to do without worrying about money.”
HELPING OTHERS
Plus, Griffin has bought a new car and some dental
implants for his mother Julie, who lives in Blacksburg.
He said a new house for his mom probably would come
down the road.
“Then the third aspect that I think about a lot is I’m
going to start my own foundation. We want to help
kids who can’t afford to play sports. Say a kid is a really
good soccer player and financially he just can’t afford
to have the right coaches or to travel.
“Obviously, golf is going to be a big part of that. But I
want to help kids in other sports, too, not just only golf.
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V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 19
by RANDY KING