Ben Miller, a sophomore from Paw Paw, spoke on May 5 about how his father’s enthusiasm for golf influenced his own path to joining the Ferris State Bulldogs men’s golf team. Miller said, “My dad, Greg Miller, has been my biggest inspiration. He is crazy about golf, with all kinds of golf gadgets and trips, so being around that helped me develop my love for the game.”
Miller first discovered Ferris State while researching academic programs and was drawn to its PGA Golf Management program. “That’s what initially brought me to Ferris State,” he said. “I enrolled in the PGA Golf Management program first, then eventually tried out for the golf team and was fortunate enough to make it.” He joined as a walk-on and worked hard through extended tryouts to earn his place.
Earning a spot on the college team required perseverance. “It was a difficult process,” Miller said. “Coming into college and going through extended tryouts was tough mentally. But I had the chance to practice, prepare for qualifiers, and learn to trust my game.” Head coach Sam Stark described him as a high-quality student who progressed from walk-on status to one of the top two players this season.
Miller reflected on adjusting from high school competition at Paw Paw to playing at Ferris State: “Before Ferris State, I did not have a ton of tournament experience… but the competition level at Ferris State is completely different.” This season he competed in five rounds with an average score of 77.56 and tied for 13th individually at the GLIAC Championships after scoring 214 over three rounds.
Ferris State Bulldogs Men’s Golf takes part in season tournaments as part of its competitive schedule and supports student-athletes integrating academics with athletics; it competes in NCAA Division II within the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference according to the official website.
Looking ahead as they host the NCAA Division II Midwest/Central Regional at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids from May 7-9, Miller remains focused on improvement: “This past season, I feel like I played OK, but I still have a lot I want to work on heading into the fall of 2026… We have the ability to be near the top of every leaderboard.”
