NEC INVITATIONAL Curtis able to concentrate on game amid distractions

The wedding bells are almost ringing.
AKRON (AP) -- The wedding is two days away. The groom is in contention.
No one expected much out of Ben Curtis this week at the NEC Invitational, except to make it to the rehearsal dinner tonight and to the church on time Saturday evening.
At this rate, Candace Beatty might walk down the aisle and see Curtis with a golf glove dangling from one back pocket, a yardage book of Firestone stuffed in the other.
Curtis made a busy week even more hectic by shooting his best round on the PGA Tour, a 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead Thursday with Sergio Garcia.
"It's kind of funny," Curtis said. "When you tell yourself to not worry about it, to just have fun, you go out there and play really good. A lot of times, you want to play good and you get tense. I was having fun, and the hole just seemed like it got bigger and bigger."
Most guys go to the range or practice green after a round.
Curtis had other plans.
"Wedding stuff," he said.
Tiger Woods, who has won the last three times at Firestone, shot a 65 and was impressed that Curtis was able to play this well with so many distractions around him.
"Let's just say if he's in contention, I want to see how tired he is on Sunday morning," Woods said with a laugh.
The wedding originally was scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday in Stow, about a 30-minute drive from Firestone. Of course, the invitations were mailed before Curtis, a 500-1 long shot, won the British Open and became the first player in 90 years to win a major championship in his first try.
He figured he still could play and make it to the chapel on time.
He never counted on leading a World Golf Championship the week of his wedding.
Curtis hit a 9-iron just inches from the cup on No. 18 for a tap-in birdie, and saw his fiancee and several members of the wedding party behind the green.
"She was smiling and cheering away," Curtis said. "I think she's going to say, 'Well, the rehearsal dinner [Friday night] might be pushed back a little bit,' but I think she'll be happy.
"This will be the best week of my life no matter what I shoot."