Trio Makes Most Of Houston Opportunity

Last week’s Houston Open may have been short on star power but it produced the kind of soul-stirring finish that doesn’t often happen in the cold, cruel world of professional golf.

Lanto Griffin won his first PGA Tour event, finishing one stroke ahead of Scott Harrington and Mark Hubbard, both of whom were also chasing their first tour win. More than that, all three were chasing the security of a future on the big tour, something none of them were assured of before the sun set over south Texas last Sunday evening.

With one special week, Griffin, Harrington and Hubbard have changed the arc of their seasons while Griffin has changed the direction of his career.

Scott Harrington is a 38-year-old PGA Tour rookie. Photo: Sam Greenwood, Getty Images

That was the beauty of this Houston Open – what it lacked in famous faces, it made up for in opportunity.

Unless a player is preternaturally talented, succeeding in professional golf is about more than skill. It’s about timing, too. It’s about playing well at the right moment, whe...