Бен Кертис: Гольфшының өмірі мен жетістіктері

American professional golfer

Ben Clifford Curtis (born May 26, 1977) is an American professional golfer and four time winner on the PGA Tour, best known for winning the 2003 Open Championship. In January 2018, Curtis told Golf Digest that he has stopped playing golf competitively, opting to teach instead.

Curtis was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Ostrander. His family runs the Mill Creek Golf Club, also in Ostrander. Curtis is a graduate of Buckeye Valley High School and Kent State University, where he was a star on the golf team and earned a bachelor's degree in recreation management in 2000. As an amateur, Curtis found much success, winning the Ohio Amateur in 1999 and 2000 (joining professional golfers John Cook, Arnold Palmer and Frank Stranahan as the only men to win the Ohio Amateur in consecutive years), and also the Players Amateur in 2000.

Curtis turned professional in 2000, originally playing on the Hooters Tour without much success. At the end of 2002, he finished in a tie for 26th at that year's Q School, earning his PGA Tour card for the following year, becoming one of the few players to completely skip the Nationwide Tour. His first year on tour began unspectacularly as he made a fair amount of cuts, but had no finishes in the top 25, until a tie for 13th at the Western Open on July 6, which qualified him for The Open Championship in England less than two weeks later.

Curtis entered the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St George's as a 300–1 outsider, defying the odds to win the tournament. After an opening round 72 (+1), he shot a second round 72 to pull into a seven way tie for fourth. A third round 70 put Curtis in a five way tie for third, two strokes behind leader Thomas Bjørn and one stroke behind second place Davis Love III. While Bjørn shot a final round 72, Curtis fired a 69 to finish at −1, one stroke ahead of Bjørn and Vijay Singh. The 2003 Open Championship was Curtis' first appearance in a major. He became the first golfer since Francis Ouimet in the 1913 U. S. Open to win his major championship debut, later accomplished by Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship. After his victory, Curtis jumped from 396th in the world rankings to 35th. This victory and a solid first season on the PGA Tour led to Curtis being named the 2003 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Curtis was the lowest ranked player to win a major since official world rankings were first calculated.

Curtis, his wife Candace, and their two children reside in Franklin Township, just north of Kent, Ohio after previously living in neighboring Stow. In 2013, Ben and Candace started the Ben Curtis Family Foundation to benefit needy children in the Kent area. Currently coaching his son as the Head Golf Coach at Kent Roosevelt High School

No. DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner up1Jun 30, 2002Grand Strand Classic67 69 69 67=272−162 strokes Nick Jones