![]() ![]() And what if he hadn’t? Who knows, back to selling phones or golf balls, perhaps? As Lee Trevino once famously said: “Real pressure is playing a match for $5 when you only have $2 in your pocket.”īuoyed by the resilience he displayed in late 2001, Beem enjoyed some good results in the first part of 2002 – a fourth and a second place being the best. Battling tremendous nerves, he held on in the final round to secure gainful employment for 2002. He fought his way into a position where he had a chance. By the end of 2001 he was in danger of losing his card and he needed a top-ten finish at the Michelob Championship to keep it. He missed eight cuts during the rest of 1999 and 16 cuts in 29 events in 2000. A low point came when he was caught driving over the limit at 2:00am while in the UK for The Open Championship. He was already known for taking a fairly colourful approach to his off-course lifestyle, but the extra fame (and cash) provided by the win allowed him to hit it rather hard. The victory secured his card for two seasons but it made him complacent. In his first season on the circuit, Beem came from nowhere to win the Kemper Open – it was a blessing and a curse. He had played 14 rounds of stress-filled golf simply to earn the chance to play on the PGA Tour – had Tiger ever felt pressure like that? ![]() He made it through the first stage in 14th place, scraped through the second stage by the skin of his teeth and then gained his card in the third stage with a final round of 66. He went back to the mini-tours and enjoyed a little success, so in late 1998 he decided to have a crack at PGA Tour Q-School. He barely touched a club for eight months, but watching old rival Paul Stankowski win the 1996 BellSouth Classic on the PGA Tour inspired him to give the sport another try. Rich lasted less than a year in that position before golf drew him back in. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |