Why Ben Griffin was hanging on Nvidia CEO's every word at WWT Championship

LOS CABOS, Mexico – Ben Griffin didn’t just come to the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship last year to make birdies by the bundles. He also came with a curious mind and a secondary purpose: to learn more about “this tech revolution we’re living in,” he said.

As part of activating its title sponsorship, World Wide Technology, a privately held global technology solution provider that bridges the gap between business and technology, rolls out all the stops for the customer experience at Diamante – there’s a concert featuring Train and O.A.R. this evening. But for some attendees the draw is less Griffin and more the panel of C-Suite executives who participate. The company, which recently renewed its title sponsorship, which runs for seven years, always hosts a Business Innovation Summit that draws captains of industry.

Last year’s keynote speaker was none other than Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Griffin, who is a WWT ambassador for the past three years, was one of the few pros who requested to attend.

“Absolutely I went to it,” he said. “I don’t know if enough players realize how big golf is and how cool it is at connecting people. To have an opportunity to hear someone who is going to play a big role in transforming what the world looks like in the next 15-20 years, it’s pretty amazing that I could be in that room to listen.”

Griffin is aware that technology also has transformed the way golf is played, the way we book tee times and choose equipment for our game. It’s helped make him a better player.

“The technology we have access to is changing by the year it feels like,” he said. “From ShotLink to TrackMan and other launch monitors, there's all this data to help us dial in our distances (with clubs) better.”

When he was younger, Griffin said the technology in golf seemed limited to his golf equipment and helped clubmakers be able to advertise that their latest and greatest innovation would add 17 yards to your drive. It's gone way beyond that. 

“Technology isn’t just helping my clubs, I’m using technology to hit those clubs better. That’s how far technology has advanced in golf,” he said. “It’s made everything more efficient.”

Griffin pointed to his ball test decision, which led him to a decision to play a Maxfli golf ball.

“You can use an eye test or a field test but you need to look at the numbers and figure out the spin rates and what ball is better for you,” he said. “I was blown away by the numbers. They used technology to show me that this ball was going to help me and I ran with it.”

And later this week, Griffin will be running to listen to the latest speakers at WWT's Business Innovation Summit to learn how technology will help bridge the gap both in our lives, in golf and beyond.