From an outhouse to the mansion is how Ben Curtis life has changed since he last competed in The Open at Royal St. George’s.

Eight years ago, Ben and his then fiancée Candace were late arrivals to Royal St. George’s and had been forced to stay the week in a small cottage somewhere in the Sandwich region.

Ben Curtis (with R & A's Lynn Wallace) reveals he's gone from the outhouse to mansion for this week's Open. (Photo www.golfbytourmiss.com)

It was Curtis’ first ever appeacne in a Major Championship.

The couple were laying in bed on the Saturday night ahead of the biggest day in Curtis’ golfing career when Candace turned to him saying:  “How do you feel about tomorrow?”

Curtis then tells the story.

“I just looked at her and said, ‘I’m going to win’.   She never talked to me until after the round on that Sunday. 

“I wasn’t sounding cocky or anything, just felt comfortable.  I wasn’t nervous or anything like that.  I was just really looking to playing links golf that I’d never played before, and until this day every time I come over I get excited.”

Now in 2011, Curtis has returned to the Kent coastal course but on this occasion IMG have rented the 2003 Open Champion an entire house.

“We’ve gone from the outhouse to the mansion,” he said.

And Curtis has already been taking full advantage of the house including cooking chicken last night for his family.

And he had a surprise visitor last night in Andy Sutton, who caddied for him eight years old in Curtis’ then first appearance in a Major Championship.

“Andy actually surprised me at the house last night,” Curtis revealed.

“I’ve seen him many times as he’s caddied in the U.S. so I’ve seen him many times but it last night was a surprise.

“I was grilling chicken on the grill and he comes walking in with one of his kids in his arm.

“I’m like, how did he get here?  I didn’t know he was coming.  But he’s a good friend of mine, and we still talk regularly.”

And in a strange coincidence Sutton is caddying this week for Australia’s Aaron Baddeley and Curtis has been drawn with Baddeley and England’s Paul Casey for the opening two rounds.

“That’s really funny because I just found out that Andy’s going to be caddying for Aaron and they’re in our group,” said Curtis.

“So that’s going to be fun.”