British Open Champion Ben Curtis Intends To Play Deutsche Bank Championship
8/4/03 3:53 PM

Boston, Mass., Aug. 4, 2003 � His nerves, doggedness and ability carried him through the world�s oldest major tournament and into the description as �The champion golfer of the year.� Now, British Open champion Ben Curtis will try adding the Deutsche Bank Championship to his burgeoning resume.

Bolstering an already-deep field, Curtis committed to play the inaugural Deutsche Bank Championship, which is Aug. 26-Sept. 1 at the Tournament Players Course of Boston in Norton, Mass.

Curtis, who learned the game on a pastoral course his grandfather owned in rural Ohio, should find familiarity in not only the lush, tree-lined TPC of Boston, but also in the list of golfers competing for the $900,000 winner�s check.

That�s because joining Curtis in the field are three of his closest pursuers for the Claret Jug: Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Davis Love III. Along with U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk, Woods and Singh earlier announced their intentions to play the $5 million tournament, while the reigning U.S. Amateur Champion Ricky Barnes, the 2003 Jack Nicklaus Award winner (as the top collegiate player) Hunter Mahan, and England�s Darren Clarke have accepted sponsor exemptions.

Also in the deep and talented field are reigning PGA champion Rich Beem, Rhode Island native and former Ryder Cupper Brad Faxon and multiple tournament winners Greg Norman, David Duval, Chris DiMarco, John Daly and Jesper Parnevik. If that wasn�t enough star and shot-making power, there are two golfers who span the ageless depth of the PGA TOUR: Nick Price, 46, and Charles Howell III, 23.

�The excitement Ben Curtis sparked at the British Open with his inspired play, combined with players like Tiger, Vijay, Jim, Davis, Rich Beem, Nick Price and Charles Howell III, promises to make the Championship a treat for New England golf fans,� Championship Director Jay Monahan said. �We are very pleased Ben plans to play the Championship.�

Before he conquered Royal St. George�s, Curtis hadn�t finished higher than 13th in a PGA TOUR event. That tie for 13th at the Western Open in early July brought him to Sandwich, England for his first major championship � one he began as the world�s 396th-ranked golfer.

After his victory, Curtis� world ranking improved 361 places, to 35th. When he steered a nervy, 8-foot par putt into Royal St. George�s 18th hole Sunday, Curtis was the only golfer to break par for four rounds and the first golfer in 90 years � or since Frances Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. � to win a major in his first try.

"I'm in great company, and I feel like I don't belong right now,� Curtis said. �But I knew in my mind that I did. Right now, there are probably people saying, 'Well, he doesn't really belong there,' but I know I do, so that's all that matters."

Even before his major breakthrough, Curtis � a semifinalist in the 1999 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach -- found himself in great company. He was one of three players to win back-to-back Ohio Amateur titles. The other two were TPC of Boston course designer Arnold Palmer and PGA TOUR mainstay John Cook.

The Deutsche Bank Championship is one of 48 official events on the 2003 PGA TOUR, featuring a 72-hole, full-field competition with 156 players vying for the $900,000 first-place prize money.  The event�s charitable proceeds will benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation, which promotes children�s health, education and welfare.

Championship week for the Deutsche Bank Championship begins with practice rounds Tuesday, August 26 and Wednesday, August 27 and a pro-am on Thursday, August 28.  The four-day Championship begins Friday, August 29 and continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 1�the only official Monday finish on the PGA TOUR.  The first two rounds of the Championship will be covered on USA Network and the final two rounds will be televised on ABC-TV.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the official Championship website at www.deutschebankchampionship.com or by calling TicketMaster at (866) GOLF-TIX or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis for each day and are limited to 10 tickets per person.  Attendance at the Deutsche Bank Championship will be limited to 25,000 people per day.

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