All of the noise is gone now. There isn’t any entourage, no hubbub, no fuss. Instead of yukking it up with David Letterman, as he did 20 years in the past this month, Ben Curtis is spending the morning instructing southeast of Cleveland and steeling himself for the roughly 750-mile drive to South Carolina for a household trip.
This form of understated Friday morning may be very a lot how Curtis likes his life twenty years after he made his main event debut on the British Open — and won. His victory at Royal St. George’s was a world sensation: He went from being the world’s 396th-ranked participant, the one who had spent a part of event week sightseeing in London together with his fiancée, to being the primary golfer in 90 years to win a main title on his first attempt.
He by no means captured one other. Sporadic successes adopted — ties for second at a P.G.A. Championship and a Players Championship, a spot on a Ryder Cup-winning staff, a few different PGA Tour victories — however by no means the major-winning magic. He final performed a tour occasion in 2017, ending with profession earnings of greater than $13.7 million.
Today, he coaches his son’s golf staff at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent, Ohio, and teaches at a golf academy that bears his title. On Thursday, the Open will start at Royal Liverpool. He may play in it, however he’d fairly not.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Let’s begin in 2003. After the primary spherical, you have been 5 pictures off the lead. After the second, three. After the third, two. When did you begin to suppose you would win?
Saturday, I keep in mind struggling the primary 9 holes, after which one thing — I don’t know if I simply calmed down, perhaps thought it’s over, I don’t know — occurred. I shot three below on that again 9, and it simply boosted my confidence. When we went to mattress that evening, I used to be like, “I’m going to win this thing.” I instructed Candace that, and she or he form of went quiet till the following day.
The again 9 on Sunday wasn’t as easy as Saturday’s. Was it the course or the strain?
Probably the strain greater than something.
The first 9 continued what I used to be doing on Saturday. In any event, however a main particularly, it’s onerous to play actually constant for 27 holes with out having some form of hiccup. In the again of my thoughts, I stored telling myself, “It’s tough for everybody.”
Ever watched the spherical?
Twice.
Twice in 20 years?
We have been at a pal’s home, wakened and he had the Golf Channel on because it was Open week. And so we sat there and watched it a little bit, and the children slowly got here down and we watched it. And then that form of spurred it on to, “Hey, let’s take the time since the kids were older.”
When I used to be enjoying, I by no means needed to look at it as a result of I used to be cussed and needed to focus on the longer term. Now I have a look at it although, and it’s like, “What were we wearing?”
A couple of days after you received, you told The Times: “It won’t change me. It won’t change who I am.” Did it?
I’m positive it did. But personality-wise or issues like that, I might hope not.
Did it change the way you approached golf?
I wasn’t used to the limelight, and so it was simply tough to go apply, to go discover that quiet place the place I may get work accomplished. You attempt to schedule your day and also you tried to have it all the way down to inside a couple of minutes, however in case you’re attempting to have a two- or three-hour apply session and it finally ends up being six and also you’ve solely practiced for 2, it wears on you.
People are developing and also you’re getting distracted — and never in a imply manner, by any stretch — however then you definately notice you’re placing much less and fewer time into the apply due to that. So that’s what was tough, and even simply going out to eat, and it made me notice I by no means needed to be like that — like, I might by no means need to be in Tiger Woods’s sneakers.
I’d need to come in below the radar. I needed to win each week, in fact. Everyone does.
I’ve heard you felt strain to show that the Open hadn’t been a fluke.
Definitely. Especially while you’re younger and also you win early, there’s that strain of you’ve bought to do it once more to show your value, I assume.
Where does that strain comes from? From inside your self? The media? The galleries?
It’s a mixture of the whole lot. Luckily, social media wasn’t a large deal again then. But I did really feel it internally. I keep in mind training and preparing on the finish of 2005, and my school coach simply went: Screw this. Just be you. Don’t attempt to be anyone that you simply’re not, since you’re attempting to emulate what the highest gamers in the world are doing, and, effectively, perhaps that’s not for you.
That was in all probability the primary time I had heard that in years.
Just return to being Ben Curtis?
Just return to being me. That refocused me a little bit. I feel it confirmed in the play that yr, profitable twice.
You coach excessive schoolers now. What do you inform them about strain?
They’re apprehensive about breaking 80 or 90, not profitable majors. But to them, that’s a large deal. I keep in mind the primary time you break 80, the primary time you break 70 and the way large of an accomplishment that’s. So that’s their main.
I at all times inform them you may’t pressure it. It’s simply going to occur. You work onerous, and it’s simply going to fall in there.
You can solely management your self and your feelings and attempt to deal with each shot prefer it’s the primary shot. And 99.9 % of the rounds don’t go the best way you need them as a result of often it’s derailed throughout the first shot or gap.
Brooks Koepka says he thinks he can win 10 majors. Did you ever let a particular quantity like that enter your head?
No, however I at all times dreamed of profitable one other one and had a couple of alternatives.
Winning a main put you in the historical past books. Would your profession have been simpler in case you hadn’t received so early?
Probably, however it wouldn’t be as cool of a story. Like, if I had received two different occasions after which received a main after which form of disappeared?
Is there such a factor as profitable a main too early?
It’s not a lot the profitable the one too early, however perhaps the best way Koepka did it and profitable a lot inside a couple of years. Now, all of a sudden, you suppose you need to win each week.
And the toughest factor — and I fell into that entice, too — was attempting to gear up your recreation only for the majors. If you simply try this alone, in case you’re not enjoying good going into it, what distinction does it make in case you don’t have the arrogance? Confidence is the most important factor.
I used to be speaking to Max Homa not too long ago, and he stated he had realized he didn’t put together for the majors how he ready for the whole lot else and that perhaps he ought to smile extra and snigger extra.
It’s true. When I received on the Open, we bought there early simply to get adjusted to the time change. I performed on Saturday and Sunday, after which on Monday, Candace and I went into London and have been these American vacationers.
Then I got here again and performed 18 on Tuesday and 9 on Wednesday. But you may overdo it, and I feel what Max is saying is in case you deal with it like every other occasion, you’ll be advantageous.
It’s so onerous to do. But each time I’ve received or got here shut, it was simply, let’s go play golf. You play free.
Wyndham Clark goes to Royal Liverpool as a first-time main champion. What’s your recommendation for him?
Enjoy the second, and don’t be afraid to say no. Try to stay to your routine. And the most important factor is simply expectations: Don’t count on to win. Just go on the market and attempt to benefit from the second. Just like Max stated, snigger, have some enjoyable. If you make the lower and have a probability to win, nice. If not, you’re nonetheless the U.S. Open champ, and nobody is ever going to take that away.
You’ve performed two Opens at Royal Liverpool. What do you make of it?
It’s a actually good golf course. I wouldn’t say it was my favourite.
Would Royal St. George’s be the favourite?
It’s up there, however I like Birkdale, simply the look of it, the texture of the place. And clearly St. Andrews is particular, however they’re all nice. I hated Troon the primary time simply because I performed badly.
You can play the Open till you’re 60. Why not play it?
One, I don’t need to put the work in. And, two, I’m not going to point out up simply to shoot a pair of 78s, 79s. It’s not truthful to the opposite guys. You’re principally taking a spot away from a child at a qualifier or anyone who’s attempting to play for the primary time.
I do know what it takes to play effectively. I can exit right here and play OK. But while you play 10 instances a yr, it’s a completely totally different factor.
You final performed a tour occasion in 2017. Was it onerous to stroll away, or was it liberating?
A bit of little bit of each. I feel I may have a couple of years earlier and simply stored hanging on and enjoying like crap, to place it frankly. Once I did, it was nice.
When did you acknowledge that you simply didn’t need that chaotic tour life anymore?
When the children bought to high school age. When they have been younger and you would take them with you, it was nice. Then they went to high school and their schedule is proscribed, and also you’re touring and enjoying in these tournaments, and also you’re alone.
I by no means performed a large quantity, however while you’re used to having them out for about 20, 22 occasions a yr and immediately it’s just for six or seven, and now you’re on the market for 20, 22 occasions by yourself, it turns into robust. It doesn’t matter how good the resort is. Every resort room, it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s a Ritz-Carlton or a Courtyard Marriott, it’s a rectangle room with a lavatory in it. And it’s robust on the household at house, too, as a result of they need me house.
Plenty of retired golfers reside in beachfront cities in Florida. You selected Ohio. Why?
If you’re in Jupiter, you’re amongst your friends. Up right here, we’re alone. The persons are nice, all the way down to earth, and we needed that for our youngsters. It’s simply who we’re and the place we’re at. This is house.
When you left the tour, did you suppose you needed to educate excessive schoolers?
No.
Think you needed to run an academy?
It took a while. For the remainder of 2017, I used to be desirous about what I needed to do, and that’s when the academy happened. Ohio has a wealthy historical past of golf, and it looks like the entire greats come by right here in some unspecified time in the future in their careers. You have a look at Jack Nicklaus, rising up in Ohio, and Arnold Palmer lived in Cleveland for a whereas.
I simply began reflecting on how I grew up, and I used to be considering, “Who around here is going to help these kids navigate the dreams that I had?” I needed to depend on my mother and father, after which fortunately I went to a school the place the coach was tremendous concerned.
When I educate, it’s not at all times about Xs and Os and hitting it to this spot or in this swing airplane or no matter. I’ve these good children, they usually need to swing it like Koepka. I’m like, “Listen, swing it like you. What your swing looks like now is not going to be what it looks like when you’re 25.”
What persuaded you to educate the highschool staff?
My son was on the staff, and the coach determined to retire. I bought a name from the athletic director and I used to be like, “Well, who do you have in mind?” And they have been like, “You, and that’s it.”
I requested them to take a couple of days and attempt to discover somebody. I didn’t need to put that strain on my son, however he was like, “coach, Dad, coach.”
What errors are you seeing that weren’t actually a factor while you have been learning to play?
Kids are extra apprehensive about their swing approach and the best way it seems to be than the way it performs. As lengthy as you shoot a 72 on the scorecard, it doesn’t matter the way you shoot 72. It’s a good rating! Just fear about that.
Twenty years in the past, you stated that in case you hadn’t been enjoying the Open you “probably” would have been watching the event on TV. Will you be watching this time?
It’s humorous: It’s been seven years since I performed, however I get up now and notice it’s virtually over. You completely overlook. You rise up and begin doing all of your stuff, and it’s 2 o’clock and also you suppose you’ll see what the golf is — after which it’s over.
The first three years have been like that, and I completely missed it. Now, I’ll watch it, and I take pleasure in it.
