Family celebrates unthinkable performance
OSTRANDER (AP) -- Bob Curtis was out mowing greens for part of the time his son Ben was making history.
"I mow the greens everyday," he said. "I am just used to it."
Meanwhile, a crowd was forming around the TV in the clubhouse at Mill Creek Golf Club to see Ben Curtis, a PGA Tour rookie playing his first major.
"After Ben birdied the first hole I noticed people started coming off the course to watch him," Bob Curtis said. "Then my phone started to ring."
Bob Curtis then made sure that he had a seat in front of the 25-inch TV for much of the round.
And when Thomas Bjorn's putt slid to a stop inches short of the 18th hole, the celebrations began.
Ben Curtis, a 500-1 underdog who spent the last two seasons on the Hooters Tour, had just won the British Open.
"There was no way in the world I thought he would get there," Bob Curtis said. "I thought he would compete, make the cut maybe, get some good rounds in and experience what goes on in a championship. But to win it? No way."
With tears in his eyes, Ben Curtis thanked his family during a short acceptance speech at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England, holding the famed claret jug.
Keeping his composure
Bob Curtis said he was most proud of the way his son kept his composure despite bogeying four of the last seven holes.
"I always thought that he had the demeanor to play the game. He keeps his emotions in check," he said. "But I never thought he would win a major his rookie season. What he did just doesn't happen."
Bob Curtis said when his son made an 8-footer for par on the final hole the crowd in the small clubhouse erupted and "the ceiling got raised a little bit."
While he is proud that his son became the first player since 1913 to win a major on his first try, Bob Curtis said he was disappointed with one thing.
"The only thing is, he forgot to kiss the trophy," he said.
Calling it a "rookie mistake," Bob Curtis said he'd be there the "next time."
Ben Curtis' grandfather built Mill Creek, about 25 miles north of Columbus, in 1973. There's a collection in the clubhouse of memorabilia dedicated to Ben, and his father hopes to add another trophy-- at least temporarily.
"Maybe he'll drop off the claret jug sometime and let us borrow it," Bob Curtis said.
Curtis' mother, Janice, said she was confident her son would do well, but wasn't sure he'd win.
"It's just hard to believe," she said. "I need to wake up."
History lesson
Curtis played college golf at Kent State. His best finish on the PGA Tour was a tie for 13th at the Western Open two weeks ago. He is a two-time Ohio Amateur champion, winning in 1999 and 2000. In 2000, he set a record by winning by 17 strokes.
The only other two players to win the Ohio Amateur two years in a row since 1950 are John Cook and Arnold Palmer. Now, Curtis has another thing in common with Palmer -- a British Open victory.
Walt Humes, the starter at the club and one of about 70 people celebrating at the clubhouse Sunday, said "it's hard to put into words," what Curtis did.
Club member Ken Reamy called Curtis' victory a "beautiful thing."
"I've been watching this since 7 a.m. this morning," Reamy said. "I couldn't pull myself away from the TV at my house. But after I saw he won it, I had to run down here and celebrate with my friends."
Johnny Regula, who farms with Bob Curtis, said this town of 405 people will never be the same.
"What is so cool about this is you are looking at history," Regula said. "You are going to see signs reading 'Home of the British Open Champion' on all of the stores."