Ben Curtis | 2003 British Open Champion (replay)

Episode • Jul 18, 2023 • 43m

This week is the Open Championship, which means it's the last golf major of the PGA season. It also marks the 20th anniversary of Ben Curtis winning the Open Championship as a 300-to-1 long shot. When Ben Curtis hoisted the Claret Jug, it was the first time he had ever played in a major and it was his first-ever tournament at a links-style course. He also was a late add to the field and his wife barely made it over to England since she didn’t have a passport.

This was an interesting episode we did a couple of years ago but wanted to replay it since this is the week of The Open Championship.

Lastly, I must admit I'm biased when it comes to Ben Curtis since he is a fellow Kent State Golden Flash alum. He is also doing a lot of great things in our area for kids in need. I highly recommend checking out his website at bencurtisfoundation.org.

SHOW NOTES:

Ben Curtis won the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s as a rookie in only his 16th start on the PGA Tour. He became the first golfer in 90 years to win a major championship on his first try. He would go on to win a total of four PGA events. Curtis also was the runnerup at the 2012 PLAYERS Championship and a member of the 2008 Ryder Cup Championship Team. Prior to his professional career, he was formerly the world’s number one ranked amateur after winning three Ohio Amateur titles, earning NCAA All-American honors three times at Kent State University, and reaching the semifinals of the 1999 of prestigious U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. He retired from professional golf in 2017. He now leads the Ben Curtis Golf Academy, as well as the Ben Curtis Family Foundation which seeks to alleviate childhood hunger in Northeast Ohio.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

Winning The Open Championship as a rookie
Getting married and playing a PGA event on the same day
The mental approach to golf
Starting a foundation to help alleviate child hunger
… and so much more!!!

Resources, Books, and Links

Golf Academy Website: BenCurtisGolfAcademy.com

Foundation Website: BenCurtisFoundation.org

Foundation Facebook: Facebook.com/BenCurtisFoundation/

Instagram: @BenCurtisFamilyFoundation

Articles of Interest . . .

Past “Success is a Choice” podcast episodes of interest . . .

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Jamy Bechler is the author of five books including The Captain and The Bus Trip, host of the Success is a Choice Podcast, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator. The Leadership Playbook is Bechler’s online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team’s culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by clicking here.

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