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Rich Beem: Pga Championship
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Beem, who looks to defy stiff odds and continue in the FedExCup playoffs, made eight birdies on Saturday to offset three bogeys. He stands at -9 for the tournament, tied atop the leader board with Mike Weir (68) and Aaron Baddeley (66). Beem needed a top-10 finish last week in order to get into the Deutsche Bank and he responded with a T-7. This week he'll need to post either a first or second in order to move on to next week's BMW Championship outside of Chicago. Beem will have plenty of competition with Phil Mickelson (64), Brett Wetterich (68), Ryan Moore (69), and Sean O'Hair (66) at -8, and five other golfers at -7.
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Even if he were to finish outside the top 70, Beem has no issues. In fact, he sees a positive aspect to the playoffs. He was, after all, 132d on the money list after the Wyndham Championship Aug. 19 and that was not a good spot since he is in the last year of being fully exempt from his 2002 PGA win. Making the playoffs... enabled him to play at the Barclays and that led to a spot here. When he made $225,750 last weekend, Beem pushed to 109th on the money list, virtually assuring that he'll keep his card for 2008. He can add to that comfort this week, so even if he doesn't advance, he's got money-list breathing room and won't feel pressured to get into a bunch fall tournaments.
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Beem turned in a stellar performance from tee to green at Hazeltine National using the CTU 30 Red golf ball. He was among the PGA Championship leaders in driving distance average at 292.9 yards while leading the field in putting at just 26.75 putts per round. This is Beem's second win in his last two starts, following his victory at The International two weeks ago. The first-time major championship winner ... wore a Callaway Golf Pro Series Glove with X-SPANN(R) technology.
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Beem, 32, won his first Major Championship recently when he took the 84th PGA Championship at Hazeltine Country Club in Minnesota. This was his second victory of the season and follows his win in The International in Colorado. He moves from 76 to 21 on the official world rankings as a result of these performances.
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This format ... offers hope for the long shots, and Beem took advantage. The former PGA champion is at No. 134 with no guarantee of playing next week outside Boston. Only the top 120 in the standings after The Barclays advance to the "second round," and Beem likely will need a top 12 at Westchester to keep playing.
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Beem, 36, has seen his game come and go over the years. Before earning status on the PGA Tour in 1999, Beem sold cellphones and car stereos in Seattle. His golf calendar consisted of mini-Tour stops in Socorro and Truth or Consequences, N.M. He once worked the counter at a pro shop in El Paso.
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