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Curtis, Els share lead at Memorial

Fred Couples watches his shot off the 18th tee during the first round of the Memorial. He's in a group one stroke behind the leaders.Fred Couples watches his shot off the 18th tee during the first round of the Memorial. He's in a group one stroke behind the leaders. (Associated PressAssociated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Knight-Ridder
Fred Couples watches his shot off the 18th tee during the first round of the Memorial. He's in a group one stroke behind the leaders.Fred Couples watches his shot off the 18th tee during the first round of the Memorial. He's in a group one stroke behind the leaders. (Associated PressAssociated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

DUBLIN, Ohio — Evidently Ben Curtis is not a superstitious man.

Either that or the lifelong Cleveland Browns fan has his limits. One day in Cincinnati Bengals gear is all he can stand.

Wearing Cincinnati colors as part of his NFL clothing deal with Reebok, Curtis shot his second-best score in the U.S. this year. The former Kent State All-American fired a 4-under-par 68 on Thursday to claim a share of the first-round lead with Ernie Els in the 29th Memorial Tournament.

“The Browns are my team. I’m going to try to wear them as much as possible,” Curtis said.

Curtis didn’t think he should reconsider that plan, even though he was one of only two players to get around Muirfield Village Golf Club bogey-free.

“I don’t think it’s the shirt,” Curtis said. “At least I hope not.”

One stroke behind the leaders were Paul Azinger, Fred Couples, Lee Janzen, Stephen Ames, Zach Johnson, Todd Hamilton, John Rollins and Aaron Oberholser.

Ames and Oberholser were among those who came to 18 with at least a share of the lead and lost it. The king of that club was J.L. Lewis, who carded a triple-bogey 7 when his fourth shot, a chip from the rough right of the green, landed 3 inches from the cup and rolled into the fairway. Darren Fichardt and Ames double-bogeyed the finishing hole, Ames in Lewis-like fashion when his ball hit the flag and rolled back, while Oberholser and Rollins fell out of the top spot with bogeys.

Even Els, who carded an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys, admitted, “It was kind of a roller-coaster ride.” His best shots were a 50-foot putt for eagle at No. 7 and a sand wedge he holed from the bunker for birdie at No. 17.

Gallery favorites were three-time Memorial champ Tiger Woods, who recorded a par 72, and Jack Nicklaus, who managed a 74, along with Curtis.

Curtis hasn’t been close to the top that much since his stunning British Open victory last year when he was ranked No. 396 in the world.

He owns at least a share of the lead for only the third time in his career. In April at the MCI Heritage Classic, he fired a second-round 66 to grab the top spot, but ended up tied for 25th. He recorded a 6-under 64 to tie Sergio Garcia in the first round of the 2003 NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club 48 hours before his wedding and finished tied for 30th.

He’s playing both the PGA and European tours, missing the cut last week at the Volvo PGA in Surrey, England.

In 10 events in America this year, he’s played on the weekend only five times and stands 133rd on the money list.

There’s a sense he needs another victory to prove the first one wasn’t a fluke.

“They say that about everybody after they win their first event,” said Peter Malik, one of Curtis’ agents at IMG.

Curtis said he doesn’t pay attention to those who call him a long-shot winner. But he knows how much a big finish would help his stature.

“I really haven’t done anything since,” he said of his triumph at Royal St. George’s. “I finished second in Japan and had a couple other decent tournaments, but I haven’t done anything that spectacular. Until I do, it will be a Cinderella story.”