Ben Curtis will be guest of honour next Wednesday aboard the ‘Sandwich Express’ and headed for the Royal St. George’s course.
It will be the American’s first visit to the course since October 2003 and just a few months after he captured the Open Championship.
Ben Curtis, winner of the 2003 Open and heading back to Royal St. Georges next Wednesday on the 'Sandwich Express'
Curtis had remarked earlier this year he would not be travelling to England ahead of the Open Championship starting at Royal St. Georges on July 14th.
However with the help of the R & A and U.K. Sports Minister, Hugh Robertson, he will join a select group on board a high speed train leaving London’s St. Pancras Station and bound for the Kent coastal golfing gem on Wednesday.
Last month, the R & A announced Southeastern Rail will be transporting 50,000 spectators to this year’s 140th Open Championship on the high speed trains direct from London to the small Kent village of Sandwich.
On arrival at Royal St. Georges Curtis will play the 16th, 17th and 18th holes before returning to London on a 1.59pm departing train.
Back in 2003 Curtis was ranked 396th in the world and rated 300-1 when he won the Open, and also becoming the first player in 90-years to win a Major at his first attempt.
The soon-to-be married Curtis came from one shot back heading to the final day to defeat hapless Dane Thomas Bjorn.
Bjorn was leading by two but came unstuck when he took three shots to get out of a 16th hole bunker.
Bjorn then dropped a shot at the next to throw open the victory to Curtis.
Headlines in most Monday papers proclaimed the American’s win with the words: ‘Ben Who!’
But eight years on and the 33-year old Curtis, says he has no qualms with those 2003 banner headlines.
“Considering my place on the world rankings the headlines in the British papers had every right to ask ‘Ben Who?’, he said during this year’s Dubai Desert Classic.
“Hell, even the people back home in the United States didn’t know who I was.
“But then they who I was come Sunday night.
“It was my first Major, and I had never ever played links golf before, but I was just so relaxed.”
Curtis said he has ruled out contesting July’s Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart ahead of The Open in Kent.
“I’m only into one Major at this stage and that’s The Open but I’ve always made a point of not playing before a Major,” he said.
“But I’ve heard and read good reports about the new Castle Stuart and even though playing a links course like that would be good preparation.”
However while Curtis has been enticed to board the ‘Sandwich Express’, organisers of next week’s flagship BMW PGA Championship have not been able to attract the American to Wentworth.
His only appearance at Wentworth was in 2003 when he contested the World Match-Play Championship, and it was while he was in the UK again that year, he ventured down to Royal St. Georges to relive the memories of a few months earlier.
