Where Have You Ben?

Ben Curtis seemed to disappear after his shocking victory in the 2003 British Open, and he seemed to surprise even himself by reappearing in a big way on Thursday. In fact, he was at a loss to explain a steady 67 that left him tied for the lead.

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (AP) -- Ben Curtis hoisted the claret jug as British Open champion in 2003, then promptly drifted out of sight on the PGA Tour.

He made his presence known again Thursday with a first-round 67 that gave him a share of the lead after the first round of the PGA Championship and thoughts of being a contender once again.

"Golf is a funny game," Curtis said. "It can come and go at any time. I'm just trying to stay patient, work hard and just trying to stay positive and not really worry about those problems."

Curtis opened with a bogey-free round that left him tied with five others and in position to stay around for the weekend for just the fourth time in 17 events this season.

He was at a loss to explain his sudden resurgence at Baltusrol Golf Club, where he played the kind of steady round that moves a player up the leader board in a major championship.

One key, according to Curtis, was a three-week break coming into the PGA Championship.

"It's kind of the midseasoner, refresh your mind -- midseason vacation," he said. "It did a lot of good."

The stats back up Curtis' claim that the break paid off. He hit eight of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. Prior to the PGA Championship, he ranked 196th in greens in regulation and 100th in driving accuracy.

Early this season, he made just one cut in his first 10 events, finishing tied for 71st at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. At the Wachovia Championship in May, he tied for 56th and went on to miss three more cuts before a strong, third-place finish at the Cialis Western Open.

He also missed the cut at the British, but saw signs that his game was rounding into shape.

"Yeah, I played well at Chicago [at the Western], so the game is starting to come around," he said. "Other than a few holes at the British, I played pretty well, as well."

That's a stark difference from last year, when he missed the cut in 11 of 20 events and finished in the top 10 only once and top 24 four times.

Curtis now realizes the impact that winning the British Open at Royal St. George had on him -- and his game.

"Well, I think obviously it changed my life forever," he said. "You know, when you win a tournament like that, actually any tournament ... there's added pressure on you. I think how you deal with it and how you handle yourself after you win is very key. I tried not to let it bother me, but obviously there's stuff that does.

"Every golfer goes through a rough time in their career, and I went through it the last year or so, but I'm going to try to work out of it and try to stay positive," he added. "I know deep down in the long run, I'll be a better player because of that."

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.