THE GOLF SWING OF RICH BEEM

Beem's Golf Swing Highlights

FULL NAME: Richard Michael Beem
HEIGHT: 5-8
WEIGHT: 153
BIRTHDATE: August 24, 1970
BIRTHPLACE: Phoenix, AZ
RESIDENCE: El Paso, TX
FAMILY: Wife, Sara
EDUCATION: New Mexico State University (1993, Marketing)
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Music, cars, skiing
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1994
JOINED TOUR: 1999

With his father, Larry coaching him at New Mexico State University, Rich was a member of the New Mexico State University golf team. He graduated in 1993, and turned pro the following year. His first PGA Tour and Buy.com Tour events were in 1999.

When he arrived on Tour in 1999, Beem couldn't have been a more naive logo-free rookie golfer. He actually bought his own lunch throughout his first tournament. At his first tournament, the Sony Open, he was unaware of the free buffet available to the players in the clubhouse. Beem was barely three years removed from having quit the game to sell cell phones for $7 an hour, and had never even played a Buy.com event, let alone had a glimpse of the big show. His victory at the Kemper was one of the largest upsets in the recent annals of the Tour. He spent the rest of his rookie year partying like a rock star which of course did not help his golf game.

Rich Beem won the PGA Tour 1999 Kemper Open in only his 12th start on TOUR, and was nominated for Rookie of the Year honors. He was named 1998 Sun Country PGA Player of the Year.

In 2001, Rich's finishes include a tie for seventh place in the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill, and a tie for ninth at Touchstone Energy Tucson Open.

Rich has won the International and PGA Championship in 2002 and also the respect of his piers. He has made a large leap in the world golf rankings.. Not bad for a guy that was thinking of quitting golf in 1995 and selling cell phones for a living.

When not golfing, Rich enjoys music, cars and skiing. I think Rich is going to be around for a long time and will continue to rise up the ladder to golf greatness.

2002 PGA Championship
Hazeltine National Golf Club
Chaska, MN