Professional Golfer Ben Curtis won the 2003 British Open and in the process became the first golfer since 1913 to win a major in his first attempt. Ben grew up only 50 yards from the practice putting green of Mill Creek Golf Course in Ostrander, Ohio, where his grandfather built the course and his father is the superintendent.

Ben started playing golf at age 3, won the Ohio Division II state golf title his junior and senior years of high school, was a three time All-American at Kent State University, and was the #1 Ranked Amateur when he turned pro in 2000. He won three more tournaments sfter the British Open on the PGA Tour and earned nearly $14 million dollars during his career.

Following his retirement from tournament golf in 2017 Ben became even more deeply involved in three ventures, each with a different focus.

The Ben Curtis Family Foundation was founded by Ben and his wife, Candace in 2013. The mission of The Ben Curtis Family Foundation is to help alleviate childhood hunger. Numerous studies have shown that when children go to school on a full stomach, they are better able to focus on what they are learning in the classroom. Based on this knowledge, the Foundation developed the Birdie Bag program to help feed schoolchildren in the Kent Public Schools, where Ben and his family currently reside, and other surrounding communities. http://www.bencurtisfoundation.org/

The Ben Curtis Golf Academy is designed for middle school, high school, and college golfers looking to advance and succeed at the next level, each student will have a fully customized program built to suit their specific golf goals. https://bencurtisgolfacademy.com/

Ben has also started his own wine label, Fairway & Vines that is available online and in wine stores nationwide.

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We hope you enjoy this slight detour from our regular basketball only conversations as we talk with 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis about what it takes to succeed as a professional athlete.

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Today’s episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast is brought to you by “Raise Your Game” the new book by Alan Stein Jr. www.raiseyourgamebook.comi