Often incognito, big-time Ben shows up again on links course
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- The memories of the historic battle of 1977 came flooding back to those perched among the leaders after the first round of the British Open.
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| Ben Curtis was 2 months old when Watson beat Nicklaus 32 years ago. (AP) |
Curtis was all of 2 months old when Watson beat Jack Nicklaus in the epic battle at Turnberry some 32 years ago.
So, guess you don't recall much then, eh?
"I remember Jack making that putt," Curtis deadpanned. "But that's about it."
Curtis made plenty of those himself Thursday, positioning himself for his second Open title in six years. This time, unlike at Royal St. Georges in 2003, he has some U.K. experience under his belt. Not quite the parts of four decades that Watson can claim, but on a links course, any at-bats count for something.
The victory in 2003 came as a raw rookie, and he is believed to be the only player in the 138 years of Open history to have won in his first attempt. He's far better prepared this time around.
"You look back on it and you kind of have to pinch yourself every now and then to realize that, hey, I won the biggest tournament in the world on the first try," he said. "That just doesn't happen. It's just weird that it happened to me. So I was very fortunate. I just had a great attitude that week. To be honest I was just happy to be there."
That hasn't really changed for the quiet, understated veteran from Ohio. He missed the cut in his next two British starts, but has finished eighth or better in each of the past two years and contended well into the back nine at the PGA Championship last year before Padraig Harrington wore him down.
He won in 2003 from behind, finishing the final round early and watching as heavyweights such as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Davis Love and Thomas Bjorn failed to get to the clubhouse without hemorrhaging on the closing stretch.
Curtis has won from behind. Ben there, done that.
Can he win from up ahead?
"I'd like to think if I was in this position heading into Sunday that I'd be able to handle it well and be able to go out there and play well," he said. "But you just never know until it happens. I mean, I don't really think about it until I get to the first tee."
For most professionals, who are often antsy alpha-male types, you'd have a hard time believing they weren't agonizing over having a lead in a Grand Slam event. But Curtis is so incredibly low-key, it's probably not much of a stretch. It's also not a reach to believe he might hang around into the weekend, since he finished T8 and T7 the past two years in the U.K.
"The last couple of years have been good to me," he said. "I think the big thing, I just love playing links golf, knowing that you have to control your irons pretty well and just keep the ball out of those fairway bunkers and kind of manage your way around the golf course.
"Seems like a lot of days you're just pulling out driver and seeing how far you can hit it. Then you hit the ball as high as you can and get it to land soft. To be able to hit a lot of different shots is fun and I think that's what it is more than anything."
With three career wins, including two at now-defunct events where he never had the opportunity to defend his title, Curtis isn't often recognized. The British fans are another story.
"I think this is really a huge event for them and they know their history, know their golf over here," Curtis said. "That's what it is more than anything. They're good to their Open champions."
Given that Curtis and Watson have six titles between them, the Open is being nice to its past champions, too.
