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AVONDALE, La. — If there’s a secret recipe to winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, the tournament’s defending champions, didn’t make it seem too complicated by the way they chatted with media on Tuesday at TPC Louisiana.
Standing side-by-side, Griffin smirked like he was waiting for a punchline to hit while Novak played straight man. Asked what he remembers most vividly about last year’s triumph, Novak admitted that he really just remembered winning, nothing else jumped to mind.
“Do you remember being on stage, singing in front of all the Zurich partners,” Griffin asked.
“Nope”
“On the mic, with the band in the background?”
“Nope,” Novak said, looking downward. “That video does not exist.”
The back-and-forth felt less like a formal press conference and more like two longtime friends picking up a conversation they’ve had a hundred times before. And that, more than anything else, might explain why they clicked last year and defeated Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard by a shot.
It was a career-changing moment for both players. Griffin went on to win twice more later in the season and earned Player of the Year consideration, while Novak rode the momentum into the Tour Championship for the first time.
Now they return to the Zurich Classic trying to do something no team has managed since this event shifted to a two-man team format in 2017: Successfully defend.
But if there’s added pressure, they’re doing a good job of hiding it.
“We like the vibe,” Griffin said. “We play well in partner golf together… it’ll be fun to defend for the first time for both of us.”
That word, vibe, came up more than once, and it’s not just something they say. It shows up in how they talk to each other, how they are approaching the week, and how they think about the format.
Unlike some teams that come together for the week, Griffin and Novak go back years, having played junior golf together and shared competitive circles long before they teamed up here. That familiarity removes tension that can creep into the alternate-shot Foursomes format, where one bad swing doesn’t just hurt you, it puts your partner in a difficult spot.
“We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said. “It’s not like we’re just a random team… we know we’re going to hit bad shots, and we’ve seen each other hit really bad shots.”
That perspective matters. Instead of trying to be perfect for each other, they’ve built a partnership that allows for mistakes without letting those moments spiral. It also allows them to keep things loose, which Novak admits doesn’t always come naturally.
“I’m working on that,” Novak said, smiling, after Griffin joked about keeping him from getting too serious.
The plan this week isn’t to reinvent anything. In fact, it’s the opposite. Novak admitted that the pair had not discussed strategy yet, decided who would tee off first, or the hitting order they plan to use in Foursomes.
“I assume we’re keeping it the same,” Novak said. “It worked pretty well.”
That simplicity stands out in a game that often leans toward over-analysis. Griffin arrives as the second-highest ranked player in the field at No. 16 in the Official World Golf Ranking (Matt Fitzpatrick is No. 3), and Novak has shown flashes of strong form this season. There’s enough individual momentum here to justify higher expectations.
But if they feel them, they’re not letting it change who they are. There’s a rhythm to how they operate — trust, familiarity, and just enough humor to keep things from getting tight when it matters most.
Whether that’s enough to make history and become the first team to defend their title here remains to be seen. But if it happens, don’t expect the formula to look much different than it did a year ago.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Zurich Classic: Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak relaxed ahead of title defense
Continue reading...
Standing side-by-side, Griffin smirked like he was waiting for a punchline to hit while Novak played straight man. Asked what he remembers most vividly about last year’s triumph, Novak admitted that he really just remembered winning, nothing else jumped to mind.
“Do you remember being on stage, singing in front of all the Zurich partners,” Griffin asked.
“Nope”
“On the mic, with the band in the background?”
“Nope,” Novak said, looking downward. “That video does not exist.”
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The back-and-forth felt less like a formal press conference and more like two longtime friends picking up a conversation they’ve had a hundred times before. And that, more than anything else, might explain why they clicked last year and defeated Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard by a shot.
It was a career-changing moment for both players. Griffin went on to win twice more later in the season and earned Player of the Year consideration, while Novak rode the momentum into the Tour Championship for the first time.
Now they return to the Zurich Classic trying to do something no team has managed since this event shifted to a two-man team format in 2017: Successfully defend.
But if there’s added pressure, they’re doing a good job of hiding it.
“We like the vibe,” Griffin said. “We play well in partner golf together… it’ll be fun to defend for the first time for both of us.”
That word, vibe, came up more than once, and it’s not just something they say. It shows up in how they talk to each other, how they are approaching the week, and how they think about the format.
Unlike some teams that come together for the week, Griffin and Novak go back years, having played junior golf together and shared competitive circles long before they teamed up here. That familiarity removes tension that can creep into the alternate-shot Foursomes format, where one bad swing doesn’t just hurt you, it puts your partner in a difficult spot.
You must be registered for see images
“We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said. “It’s not like we’re just a random team… we know we’re going to hit bad shots, and we’ve seen each other hit really bad shots.”
That perspective matters. Instead of trying to be perfect for each other, they’ve built a partnership that allows for mistakes without letting those moments spiral. It also allows them to keep things loose, which Novak admits doesn’t always come naturally.
“I’m working on that,” Novak said, smiling, after Griffin joked about keeping him from getting too serious.
The plan this week isn’t to reinvent anything. In fact, it’s the opposite. Novak admitted that the pair had not discussed strategy yet, decided who would tee off first, or the hitting order they plan to use in Foursomes.
“I assume we’re keeping it the same,” Novak said. “It worked pretty well.”
That simplicity stands out in a game that often leans toward over-analysis. Griffin arrives as the second-highest ranked player in the field at No. 16 in the Official World Golf Ranking (Matt Fitzpatrick is No. 3), and Novak has shown flashes of strong form this season. There’s enough individual momentum here to justify higher expectations.
But if they feel them, they’re not letting it change who they are. There’s a rhythm to how they operate — trust, familiarity, and just enough humor to keep things from getting tight when it matters most.
Whether that’s enough to make history and become the first team to defend their title here remains to be seen. But if it happens, don’t expect the formula to look much different than it did a year ago.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Zurich Classic: Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak relaxed ahead of title defense
Continue reading...
