Ben Curtis
Name:
Ben Clifford CurtisCountry:
USABorn:
May 26, 1977 in Columbus, Ohio.Original/Home Club:
Windmill Lakes GC, OH / Kent State University.Occupation:
Professional golferTurned Pro:
2000MAJORS (1). Ryder Cup player (2008). Multiple PGA Tour winner. US PGA Rookie of the Year (2003).
Ben Curtis is a current PGA Tour player, best known as the surprise winner of the 2003 Open Championship held at Royal St George's. It was his first appearance in a major championship.
America
Valero
Played as the Valero Texas Open (April 19-22). Second-placed Matt Every (USA) and tour rookie John Huh (USA) finished 2 shots behind Ben Curtis (USA), who recorded his first PGA Tour win since 2006. [Oaks course, TPC San Antonio, TX].
America
84 Lumber
Played as the 84 Lumber Classic (Sept 14-17). Second-placed Charles Howell III (USA) finished 2 shots behind Curtis (USA), who recorded his second PGA Tour win of 2006. [Mystic Rock course, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, PA].
America
Booz Allen
Played as the Booz Allen Classic (June 22-25). Second-placed Padraig Harrington (Ire), Billy Andrade (USA), Nick O'Hern (Aus) and Steve Stricker (USA) finished 5 shots behind Ben Curtis (USA), who recorded his first win since the 2003 Open Championship. Tuesday finish required after Sunday and Monday impacted by weather. [TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, nr Washington DC. At the time known as TPC Avenel].
Awards
PGA Tour
Curtis (USA) won the PGA Tour 2003 Rookie of the Year Award as the leading first-season player. He finished 46th on the Tour's money list, with earnings of $1,434,911. During the season 26 year-old Curtis won the Open Championship.
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (132nd) (July 17-20). Second-placed Thomas Bjørn (Den) and Vijay Singh (Fiji) finished 1 shot behind 26-year-old Curtis (USA). PGA Tour rookie Curtis was making his first appearance in a major championship. The last debut winner of a major championship was Francis Ouimet (1913, US Open). The last debut winner of The Open Championship was Tom Watson (1975). [Royal St George's GC, Sandwich, Kent].
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.
