FEATURE: Inspired by his Father’s Passion for Golf, Ferris State’s Ben Miller Discovers the Sport and Earns Success as a Bulldog

By Sandy Gholston

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Ben Miller has taken a bit of a nontraditional route to playing college golf career, but he will always appreciate how a personal relationship started him on his competitive journey.

"My dad, Greg Miller, has been my biggest inspiration," said Miller, who joined the Ferris State men's golf team as a walk-on as his interest in golf continued growing along with his caliber of play. "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, a sophomore from Paw Paw, discovered Ferris State through higher education research that led him to one of its unique and prestigious academic programs, PGA Golf Management, the first of its kind sanctioned by the PGA.

"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."

His good fortune stood on a foundation of passion for golf and hard work.

Earning a spot in college athletics as a walk-on at any level is challenging when the competition is as tough as it gets.

"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."

That trust paid off as he has progressed from a walk-on, seeking an opportunity to prove himself, to become a standout on the team.

His head coach, Sam Stark, describes Ben as a high-quality student who has progressed from a walk-on to a top two player on the team this season.

"Before Ferris State, I did not have a ton of tournament experience," said Miller, who picked up golf during his freshman year of high school, but did not grow into his competitiveness until his junior year. "I played a lot with my dad and competed in high school golf at Paw Paw, but the competition level at Ferris State is completely different."

That competitive difference required adjustments. He had to trust his game and work hard every step of the way.

"I feel like I have come a long way," Miller said. "I have put in a lot of work and have started to see glimpses of the results. Now I am just waiting for it to fully show up in tournaments."

Reflecting on his play during this 2025-26 season, Miller remains prideful, but always growth minded.

"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," said Miller, who competed in five rounds for Ferris State, posting a stroke average of 77.56. "As a team, I do not think we played poorly, but I think we have a lot more gas in the tank. We have the ability to be near the top of every leaderboard."

The Bulldogs have a point of focus coming off a third-place finish at the GLIAC Championships, which concluded on April 17 in Augusta.

Miller earned a three-round score of 214, tying for 13th individually.

"It is going to come down to our preparation as a team and how well we handle the mental side of the game on the course," said Miller, who shot rounds of 70, 73 and 71.

The Bulldogs will host the NCAA Division II Midwest/Central Regional at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, May 7-9.

Miller and Ferris State aim to be ready.