Griffin's Putting Clinic Produces 64 in First Start Back at Mexico Open

Ben Griffin barely missed a putt all day. Returning to competition for the first time since August, Griffin rolled in 159 feet and 2 inches worth of putts to open with a 7-under 64 at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open on Thursday, leaving him one shot behind early leader Kensei Hirata of Japan. It was a remarkable return. Griffin spent much of the last two months off his feet after treatment on his left knee, undergoing platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid injections for tendinitis that has troubled him for two years. An MRI late last season revealed a fissure in the cartilage, and he did not touch a club for a month. "The putter was really nice outside of 20 feet," Griffin said. "I made a lot of long-range putts, which is something I worked hard on this offseason, so I was really excited to see it pay off in the first round back." Thursday was his first time walking 18 holes in competition since the BMW Championship. If the knee holds up, the rest of the field has been warned: Griffin's putter is already in mid-season form.