Columnist Peter Benton: Open champ Curtis came from out of nowhere

Peter Benton

Wednesday, July 30, 2003 | 8:37 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Just what do you know about that young upstart, Ben Curtis, who had the temerity to win the British Open, outplaying so many household names?

To fill in a few of the gaps for you, he was a three-time college All-American at Kent State, and also was twice the Ohio state amateur champion. His entrance into the field at the 132nd Open was via his 13th-place finish at the Western Open where his two closing rounds of 69-68 ensured his entry.

This rather extraordinary Cinderella story will no doubt develop into an ongoing saga, as a win of this magnitude will have lasting repercussions -- and benefits -- for the rest of this young man's life.

Curtis has had only one other professional triumph, and that was winning the Air Medal Match Play Shootout on the Hooters Tour in June of last year -- not a biggie by any stretch of the imagination -- but a win is a win.

Playing in his first major championship, Curtis fired a 2-under-par 69 on Sunday's final day of play to win The Open by a stroke. Surprisingly, and as a testament to the difficulty of the Royal St. George's layout, he was the only player to finish under par for the 72 holes.

The victory moved Curtis, who began the week as the 396th player in the official World Golf Ranking, to 35th after his win. The 361-place jump marked the largest one-week improvement since the rankings began in 1986.

Curtis earned $1,112,720 for his surprise victory, and moved to 22nd on the PGA Tour's official money list. He was previously ranked 142nd.

We will probable never know the extent of the "perks" that Curtis will receive (and be assured there will be many), but what we do know is that this win gives him a five-year Tour exemption plus an automatic five-year exemption into the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Not only that, but he will be exempt for the British Open until he turns 65.

This most improbable triumph will also earn him a 10-year exemption into The Players Championship, as well as entry into the 2003 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational (to be played the week Curtis is scheduled to be married).

BEFORE BRITAIN: Ben Curtis played his way onto the PGA Tour this season by finishing tied for 26th at the Tour Qualifying Tournament last December, and the following is how he has fared so far this year:

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am., missed cut; Buick Invitational, missed cut; Chrysler Classic of Tuscon, missed cut; Bay Hill Invitational, tied for 42nd after rounds of 75-70-71-73--289, $14,130; BellSouth Classic, T72, $7,800; Shell Houston Open, T31, $24,975; H.P. Classic of New Orleans, 75th., $9,500; EDS Byron Nelson Championship, T44, $16,184; The Memorial Tournament, missed cut; FBR Capital Open, missed cut; Buick Classic, T66, $10,300; FedEx St. Jude Classic, T27, $33,300; Western Open, T13, 71-71-69-68--279, $79,500; British Open Championship, 1st., 72-72-70-69--283, $1,112,720.

That's eight cuts made in 14 events with money won totalling $1,308,409, and at this stage of the season he is the youngest winner on our PGA Tour at 26 years and a couple of months.

WOMEN'S FOUR-PERSON EVENT: The 2003 Nevada State Women's Golf Association's Four Person Team Championship is scheduled Aug. 9-10 at the Ruby View Golf Course in Elko. Format for this 36-hole tournament is two best-balls of foursome.

Team entry fee is $420 ($105 per player), with this figure including green fees, cart, range balls, a daily continental breakfast, prizes and an awards luncheon.

Contestants must be members of either the Southern of Northern Nevada women's golf associations and have a handicap of 36 or less.

For information, call (702) 458-4653.