Finally, a Booz Allen winner: Curtis

If a sponsor can't be found, the tour's only Washington stop will likely disappear.
POTOMAC, Md. (AP) -- After making the winning putt, Ben Curtis pumped his fists and joined his playing partners in a bow of gratitude to the volunteers and superintendents behind the 18th green.
He had reason to give thanks. After all, it took him six mostly waterlogged days to win the Booz Allen Classic, his first title since the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George's. The Tuesday finish was the first on the tour since the 1980 Tucson Open.
"It was just a big relief to get it done and finally get this win," Curtis said, who played at Kent State. "I've been waiting three years for it and it finally came. We bowed to the superintendents because they did a wonderful job getting the course ready."
Few fans on hand
But there was hardly anyone to see Curtis complete the five-stroke victory. Fans were not allowed on the course Tuesday because the tournament didn't anticipate six days of security arrangements.
That left about 40 people, including a handful of fellow golfers, to watch Curtis tap in for his second bogey of Tuesday morning. The two harmless bogeys concluded a 1-under-par 70 in an event that dragged on because of rain.
Curtis began Tuesday on the 17th hole facing a 28-foot par putt, which he missed. He failed to get up and down for par on the 18th and wound up at 20-under 264, one shot off the tournament record.
Curtis, who earned $900,000, was five shots ahead of Billy Andrade (64), Padraig Harrington (66), Nick O'Hern (67) and Steve Stricker (68).
The tournament, already fighting for its existence, was depleted because most top players skipped the event because it followed a week of tough play at the U.S. Open. The tour plans to move the event to the fall in 2007, but a monthslong search for a new title sponsor has yielded no results. If a sponsor can't be found, the tour's only stop in the Washington area probably will disappear.
Not much drama
There wasn't much drama at the start of the day -- Curtis already had a big lead before he missed the 28-foot putt for par at the 17th hole.
Many tournaments hit by rain have been shortened to 54 holes. Curtis said finishing the event, even on a Tuesday, made it more satisfying.
"Anyone who plays this game, they don't want to be a 54-hole winner," Curtis said. "Obviously you'll take it, you won't complain about it, but I think if you have a choice to play 72 holes, you want to play 72 holes."