Like other golfers seeking to stay sharp during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, Lanto Griffin plays matches against high-end competition.

Unlike most of those other pros, Griffin is testing his game against a World Golf Hall of Famer with 34 PGA TOUR wins, 626 starts and a FedExCup on his resume.

Given that Griffin is just in his second year on TOUR, it’s been quite an education going up against Vijay Singh. The motivating factors for Griffin to play well are fairly simple.

“One, you don't want to look like an idiot,” Griffin says, “and you want to beat somebody that's that good.

“So, it's been nice. We've been kind of pushing each other.”

Griffin, who broke through with his first TOUR win at the Houston Open last fall, got to know Singh through his friendship with the Fijian’s son, Qass. Griffin and the younger Singh share a swing coach, Todd Anderson, the director of instruction at the PGA TOUR’s Performance Center, and they got to know each other last summer.

“He's like a gentle giant,” Griffin says of Qass. “He's one of the nicest people I've ever met.”

“He’s a great guy,” Qass counters. “He’s just a very humble, solid person.”

The friendship started at TPC Sawgrass, but it turned out the two live about two blocks apart in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. There have been a lot of Monopoly games and dinners with their girlfriends during the COVID-19 lockdown. Griffin also bought as PS4, giving the two another way to compete.

“I started out being way better than him, but he's slowly but surely caught up to me,” Qass says. “So, I wouldn't say it's even, but he's nipping at my heels now.”

On the other hand, Griffin’s friendship with Qass’s father started in the weight room at Singh’s Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, home after he expressed an interest in joining the 57-year-old’s daily workouts.

The 31-year-old Griffin found the elder Singh to be very welcoming once the two started lifting and exercising together.

“Vijay is extremely funny,” he says. “He's funny … everybody thinks he's a big hard-ass, which he is a little bit, but he's real playful, he practices harder than anybody and he's fun to be around. ... So, we've been having some good matches.”

Vijay says Griffin is an “easy guy to get along with.” But Singh, who is known for his rigorous and exacting fitness regimen, noted that the somewhat laid-back, 6-foot-3 Griffin is just getting into the “workout thing.”

“He’s using my trainer so we kind of work out together almost every day except for Sunday,” the three-time major champion says. “And we play all the time.”

The 29-year-old Qass, who is also part of the workout group, says Griffin and his dad both “have their strengths.

“Of course, my dad is just an absolute beast, savage, whatever you want to call him,” Qass adds. “He works out harder than all of us, and sets the bar, and we try to keep up with him.”

Qass says Griffin has become part of the “inner circle” that also includes Singh’s caddie Danny Sahl and trainer Jeff Fronk, otherwise known as “Dog.” Once his friend was integrated into the activity in the weight room, Qass says moving to the golf course was the next logical step.

“Of course, I wanted him to play with my dad and do some money games here and there and get out a fun, friendly competitive vibe going,” Qass says. “And I think they push each other on the golf course, and of course, the training, too.

“So, it's a win-win for both sides. I think it's a good energy and it's a good vibe that pushes them to perform better.”

Sahl, who was on Mike Weir’s bag for four years, agrees.

“I think it’s nice for Vijay to have a young guy push him,” he says. “They kind of push each other.”

More often than not, the foursome is first off the tee at TPC Sawgrass. Qass and Griffin play Vijay and Sahl, who, like most caddies, is a talented golfer in his own right. There are other assorted wagers but the money that crosses hands is secondary to the intangibles that the second-year TOUR pro is gaining.

“Playing with somebody like him, it helps me focus and focus when there's nothing to focus on, because for players like us, it's really hard to get excited about golf when you don't know when your next tournament is,” Griffin says. (The TOUR’s adjusted schedule starts June 11-14 at the Charles Schwab Challenge.)

“So, it's been a lot of fun being able to play with a Hall of Famer and kind of learn from him without really having to ask questions, just kind of seeing what he does and you kind of realize pretty quickly, why he's so good. One, inner belief and then two, his work ethic is next to... I'd put it up against anybody, any athlete really. He's 57 years old and man, he doesn't take many days off.”

Qass, who does real estate investing and private equity work, says he’s had a “love-hate relationship” with the game he learned from his father after battling through some physical issues. He’s healthy now, though, and enjoying the competition, and he sees the same spark in his dad and Griffin.

“I mean it's hard -- especially with the TOUR and everything being shut down or temporarily postponed to lose that competitive edge and that fire that comes in competition, and I think them playing against each other, it gives them motivation not only to perform better on the golf course, but to work out harder, to eat better, to do all they can to elevate themselves to beat one another,” Qass says.

“I've definitely seen a change. There's definitely been more lack of a better word, fire in both of them throughout this hard time.”