All the noise is gone now. There isn’t a entourage, no hubbub, no fuss. As an alternative 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 sort of understated Friday morning may be very a lot how Curtis likes his life 20 years after he made his main match debut on the British Open — and received. His victory at Royal St. George’s was a global sensation: He went from being the world’s 396th-ranked participant, the one who had spent a part of match week sightseeing in London together with his fiancée, to being the primary golfer in 90 years to win a significant 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 Gamers Championship, a spot on a Ryder Cup-winning staff, just 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.
In the present day, he coaches his son’s golf staff at Theodore Roosevelt Excessive Faculty in Kent, Ohio, and teaches at a golf academy that bears his identify. On Thursday, the Open will start at Royal Liverpool. He might play in it, however he’d somewhat not.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Let’s begin in 2003. After the primary spherical, you have been 5 photographs off the lead. After the second, three. After the third, two. When did you begin to assume you can win?
Saturday, I bear in mind struggling the primary 9 holes, after which one thing — I don’t know if I simply calmed down, possibly thought it’s over, I don’t know — occurred. I shot three beneath on that again 9, and it simply boosted my confidence. After we went to mattress that night time, I used to be like, “I’m going to win this factor.” I advised Candace that, and she or he form of went quiet till the following day.
The again 9 on Sunday wasn’t as clean as Saturday’s. Was it the course or the strain?
Most likely the strain greater than something.
The primary 9 continued what I used to be doing on Saturday. In any match, however a significant particularly, it’s arduous to play actually constant for 27 holes with out having some form of hiccup. Behind my thoughts, I saved telling myself, “It’s powerful for everyone.”
Ever watched the spherical?
Twice.
Twice in 20 years?
We have been at a good friend’s home, awoke and he had the Golf Channel on because it was Open week. And so we sat there and watched it somewhat bit, and the children slowly got here down and we watched it. After which that form of spurred it on to, “Hey, let’s take the time because the youngsters have been older.”
After I was enjoying, I by no means needed to observe it as a result of I used to be cussed and needed to focus on the long run. Now I have a look at it although, and it’s like, “What have been we carrying?”
A couple of days after you received, you advised The Occasions: “It received’t change me. It received’t change who I’m.” Did it?
I’m positive it did. However personality-wise or issues like that, I’d hope not.
Did it change the way you approached golf?
I wasn’t used to the limelight, and so it was simply troublesome to go observe, to go discover that quiet place the place I might get work executed. You attempt to schedule your day and also you tried to have it right down to inside a couple of minutes, however for those who’re making an attempt to have a two- or three-hour observe session and it finally ends up being six and also you’ve solely practiced for 2, it wears on you.
Persons are developing and also you’re getting distracted — and never in a imply approach, by any stretch — however then you definitely notice you’re placing much less and fewer time into the observe due to that. In order that’s what was troublesome, and even simply going out to eat, and it made me notice I by no means needed to be like that — like, I’d by no means need to be in Tiger Woods’s sneakers.
I’d need to are available beneath the radar. I needed to win each week, in fact. Everybody does.
I’ve heard you felt strain to show that the Open hadn’t been a fluke.
Positively. Particularly whenever 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 suppose.
The place does that strain comes from? From inside your self? The media? The galleries?
It’s a mixture of every thing. Fortunately, social media wasn’t an enormous deal again then. However I did really feel it internally. I bear in mind working towards and preparing on the finish of 2005, and my school coach simply went: Screw this. Simply be you. Don’t attempt to be any individual that you simply’re not, since you’re making an attempt to emulate what the highest gamers on the earth are doing, and, properly, possibly that’s not for you.
That was in all probability the primary time I had heard that in years.
Simply return to being Ben Curtis?
Simply return to being me. That refocused me somewhat bit. I feel it confirmed within the play that 12 months, profitable twice.
You coach excessive schoolers now. What do you inform them about strain?
They’re anxious about breaking 80 or 90, not profitable majors. However to them, that’s an enormous deal. I bear in mind the primary time you break 80, the primary time you break 70 and the way huge of an accomplishment that’s. In order that’s their main.
I all the time inform them you’ll be able to’t pressure it. It’s simply going to occur. You’re employed arduous, and it’s simply going to fall in there.
You may 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 way in which you need them as a result of normally it’s derailed inside the first shot or gap.
Brooks Koepka says he thinks he can win 10 majors. Did you ever let a selected quantity like that enter your head?
No, however I all the time dreamed of profitable one other one and had a few alternatives.
Successful a significant put you within the historical past books. Would your profession have been simpler for those who hadn’t received so early?
Most likely, but it surely wouldn’t be as cool of a narrative. Like, if I had received two different occasions after which received a significant after which form of disappeared?
Is there such a factor as profitable a significant too early?
It’s not a lot the profitable the one too early, however possibly the way in which Koepka did it and profitable loads inside a few years. Now, unexpectedly, you assume it is best to win each week.
And the toughest factor — and I fell into that lure, too — was making an attempt to gear up your sport only for the majors. When you simply try this alone, for those who’re not enjoying good going into it, what distinction does it make for those who don’t have the boldness? Confidence is the most important factor.
I used to be speaking to Max Homa not too long ago, and he mentioned he had realized he didn’t put together for the majors how he ready for every thing else and that possibly he ought to smile extra and snigger extra.
It’s true. After 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. However you’ll be able to overdo it, and I feel what Max is saying is for those who deal with it like every other occasion, you’ll be wonderful.
It’s so arduous to do. However 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?
Benefit from the second, and don’t be afraid to say no. Attempt to persist with your routine. And the most important factor is simply expectations: Don’t anticipate to win. Simply go on the market and attempt to benefit from the second. Similar to Max mentioned, snigger, have some enjoyable. When you make the lower and have an opportunity 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 very 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 really 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 may 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 mainly taking a spot away from a child at a qualifier or any individual who’s making an attempt to play for the primary time.
I do know what it takes to play properly. I can exit right here and play OK. However whenever you play 10 occasions a 12 months, it’s a very completely different factor.
You final performed a tour occasion in 2017. Was it arduous to stroll away, or was it liberating?
A bit of little bit of each. I feel I might have a few years earlier and simply saved hanging on and enjoying like crap, to place it frankly. As soon as 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. After they have been younger and you can take them with you, it was nice. Then they went to high school and their schedule is restricted, and also you’re touring and enjoying in these tournaments, and also you’re alone.
I by no means performed an enormous quantity, however whenever you’re used to having them out for about 20, 22 occasions a 12 months and abruptly it’s just for six or seven, and now you’re on the market for 20, 22 occasions by yourself, it turns into powerful. It doesn’t matter how good the resort is. Each lodge room, it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s a Ritz-Carlton or a Courtyard Marriott, it’s a rectangle room with a toilet in it. And it’s powerful on the household at dwelling, too, as a result of they need me dwelling.
Lots of retired golfers stay in beachfront cities in Florida. You selected Ohio. Why?
When you’re in Jupiter, you’re amongst your friends. Up right here, we’re alone. The individuals are nice, right down to earth, and we needed that for our youngsters. It’s simply who we’re and the place we’re at. That is dwelling.
While you left the tour, did you assume you needed to teach excessive schoolers?
No.
Suppose you needed to run an academy?
It took a while. For the remainder of 2017, I used to be fascinated by what I needed to do, and that’s when the academy took place. Ohio has a wealthy historical past of golf, and it looks as if all the greats come via right here sooner or later of their careers. You have a look at Jack Nicklaus, rising up in Ohio, and Arnold Palmer lived in Cleveland for some time.
I simply began reflecting on how I grew up, and I used to be considering, “Who round right here goes to assist these youngsters navigate the desires 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.
After I train, it’s not all the time about X’s and O’s and hitting it to this spot or on this swing airplane or no matter. I’ve these good youngsters, they usually need to swing it like Koepka. I’m like, “Hear, swing it such as you. What your swing appears to be like like now isn’t going to be what it appears to be like like whenever you’re 25.”
What persuaded you to teach 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, “Nicely, who do you keep in mind?” And so they have been like, “You, and that’s it.”
I requested them to take a few 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 whenever you have been studying to play?
Children are extra anxious about their swing approach and the way in which it appears to be like than the way it performs. So long as you shoot a 72 on the scorecard, it doesn’t matter the way you shoot 72. It’s rating! Simply fear about that.
Twenty years in the past, you mentioned that for those who hadn’t been enjoying the Open, you “in all probability” would have been watching the match 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 nearly over. You completely neglect. You stand up and begin doing all of your stuff, and it’s 2 o’clock and also you assume you’ll see what the golf is — after which it’s over.
The primary three years have been like that, and I completely missed it. Now, I’ll watch it, and I take pleasure in it.