By Rusty Miller Associated Press DUBLIN Ben Curtis wont be dialing the front desk this week to ask the concierge for a restaurant recommendation, request extra pillows or order room service. While almost all of the other 104 players in the field at the Memorial Tournament are ensconced in luxury hotels, Curtis is staying 20 minutes up the road from Muirfield Village Golf Club at his parents house. Its very exciting, to be able to stay home and everything. Its going to be wonderful, said Curtis, a tour rookie and former Kent State All-American who got into the tournament on a sponsors exemption. And to see some old faces and some new ones as well. In the berg of Ostrander, population 405, its as if a rock star is visiting. Curtis grew up on the rolling hills of Ostranders Mill Creek Golf Club, owned by his maternal grandparents. His grandfather, Bill Black, built the course on his farm in 1973. He taught Ben and his brother, Nick, how to play, with grandmother Myrtie fixing them sandwiches on the grill to keep them going. Shortly before Bill Black died in February, Curtis showed his grandfather his PGA Tour card. Now Curtis parents run Mill Creek. On Wednesday, 24 hours before Ben was scheduled to tee off in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament, Janice Curtis was in the Mill Creek pro shop. She is also the social director for her son, who was joined at the family home by his fiancee and his caddie. We had a little cookout on Monday, she said, referring to the 35 relatives and friends who showed up for hamburgers and bratwurst. Everyone Ben wanted to see came over. We had a lot of family members and some of his friends from high school. We did it at one time so it all wouldnt be so overwhelming. Later in the day, they celebrated Bens 26th birthday with a large cake. Curtis is 171st on the money list, making the cut in his last five tournaments. He always looked forward to the Memorial when he was growing up and he never missed an opportunity to traipse around the course that Jack Nicklaus built. I came here almost every year since I was a little boy, he said. Once a spectator, now a participant, Curtis will be trailed by dozens of supporters. This will be his biggest gallery, Janice said apprehensively. She drew up a chart to keep track of who is using the 20-some weekly tournament badges the family bought so everyone gets the chance to see Ben in action. I feel like Ive got to play well not just for myself but for them as well, said Curtis, whose tour bio lists family as his special interest. Hell be returning to Ohio in August for his wedding to Candace Beatty, a former Kent State womens golfer. Curtis starred collegiately at Kent State and had a glittering amateur resume. He set a record by winning the second of his two Ohio Amateur titles by 17 strokes. The only two players to also win back-to-back state amateur championships are Arnold Palmer and John Cook. Curtis said he would try not to get caught up in the moment, to be awed by the players or the fans or the tournament. His career-best finish is a tie for 31st at the Shell Houston Open. The first goal is to win. The second is to play the weekend. The third is to just play good golf, the best I can, he said. If I were to play four of my best rounds and still lose, I wont be disappointed, obviously. Im going to try to not worry about the surroundings. That may be difficult for the biggest name in Ostrander. Two weeks ago, Byron Nelson was being interviewed during his namesake tournament when the Curtises, watching on television, nearly jumped out of their seats. It wasnt anything that Nelson said but a glimpse of fabric behind him. Ben walked behind Mr. Nelson and was on camera for a second, his mother said. I had to call him up that night and ask him, Did you have on that brown-and-tan striped shirt today? He said he did.
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