Curtis' game is suited for Oakland Hills

Ben Curtis hits it short and straight off the tee.

From there, he plays it safe to the green where he's a solid putter.

Curtis' temperament and ho-hum game served him well at vaunted Oakland Hills - just as it did at the 2003 British Open - as he shot a 3-under 67 on Friday to trail J.B. Holmes by a stroke halfway through the PGA Championship.

"I don't know if it's just my personality or my game," he said. "Probably a reflection of both."

Curtis was at even-par 140 through two rounds, giving himself a chance to claim his second major and just his fourth victory since becoming a full-time PGA Tour player five years ago when he came out of nowhere to win at Royal St. George's.

Regardless of how he fares in suburban Detroit, the "Ben Bulletin" will be updated throughout the weekend about 150 miles away at Mill Creek Golf Course in Ostrander, Ohio.

Curtis grew up about 50 yards from the course that his grandfather created near Columbus. Dad is the superintendent while Mom and other family members, including Grandma on Friday, chip in by cooking, cutting the grass and updating the "Ben Bulletin."

A dry-erase board under one of the three TVs - an aunt says there isn't a big one - in the pro shop shows how Curtis is doing each day he's competing.

"We were following him on the computer," said his aunt, Nancy Plant. "But we were pretty busy because we had an outing today, so it was hard to keep up."

Curtis' mother, Janice, was able to see the action in person at Oakland Hills while his father, Bob, had to stay behind to work at the golf course and at home.

"He's dog-sitting," Plant said. "He got to go to the British, so his mother gets to be with him this week."

Janice Curtis saw her son get into contention with a 3-under second round after falling apart Thursday, losing six shots over the last eight holes for a 73.

Curtis said only one player will like Oakland Hills by the end of the tournament - and it might be him - because undulating and firm fairways coupled with hard and contoured greens make it one of the toughest in the world.