HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina, 17 April 2004 — British Open champion Ben Curtis carded a three-under-par 68 on Thursday to lie one stroke off first-round leader Cameron Beckman’s pace at the PGA Tour’s Heritage.

Curtis had four birdies and a bogey on a breezy day in the resort town, maneuvering around the 6,973-yard layout that requires precise tee shots.

“I hit three or four fairways where I had to hook it or slice it around a tree just to get it on the green,” he said. You had to have a little imagination out there.”

Curtis is used to those kind of playing conditions, having stunned the golf world with last year’s British Open triumph at Royal St. George’s in England. But he has missed five of eight cuts entering this week.

Curtis has struggled considerably since becoming the first player since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 US Open to win his first major appearance. But he’s expected it.

“I know it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” said Curtis, who has blamed putting for his struggles. “I want be out here for 15, 20 years, if not more. But I think for the most part, I just want to take my time.”

Curtis admitted there’s a lot to learn.

Beckman is where he wants to be after one round. He had five birdies and a bogey en route to a 67 that has him a shot ahead of Curtis, Jay Haas, Heath Slocum, Jonathan Byrd and Australian Rod Pampling.

Seeking his second win in six PGA Tour seasons, Beckman made a pair of 20-foot birdie putts and a 40 footer. Last week during Masters week, he worked on his stroke at home.

Beckman also hopes some experience will pay dividends. He shot a 62 here in the second round two years ago to get in contention but finished with a 78. While the course didn’t yield any low scores, 50 players ended the day within four strokes of each other. Among them was South African star Ernie Els, one of 14 players to post a 69. Defending champion Davis Love, who has won this event five times, stumbled to a 72.

Kerr, Three Others Share Lead at Windswept Las Vegas

US Solheim Cup veteran Christie Kerr defied gusting desert winds on Thursday to join a group of four players sharing the lead after the first round of the LPGA’s Takefuji Classic.

Kerr, Jackie-Gallagher Smith of the United States, US rookie Stacy Prammanasudh and unheralded Australian Nadina Taylor all carded 69s at the Las Vegas Country Club, where wind speeds reached the neighborhood of 35 miles per hour.

Kerr had a roller-coaster ride through the wind, totaling six birdies and three bogeys. But she was proud of her effort, so much so she was willing to cheat on her diet.

Kerr, who just a couple of years ago lost more than 60 pounds, was 1-over through six holes. But she birdied six of the last 12 — around a pair of bogies — to gain a share of the lead. Kerr missed a seven-foot putt at the 18th that would have given her the outright lead. But she still was confident, especially having grown up playing in the breezes of South Florida.

The only other player with a title among the four co-leaders is Gallagher-Smith, who played bogey-free until the 17th hole. She admitted the players don’t have much control of their ball in the swirling conditions.