100TH WESTERN OPEN

July 6, 2003

Rich Beem

TODD BUDNICK: We thank Rich for dropping by after 16 under 272, leaves you in second place for the tournament. Congratulations. The back nine, birdie, eagle, birdie, par, birdie on that whole stretch there.

RICH BEEM: Yeah, I played 8 and 9 kind of -- No. 9, I hit a decent drive and went for it and hit it way right and made par so I was kind of chewing my butt.

We got down there on No. 10 and I told my caddie we've got to do something. I want to make some money. Actually my wife wants me to make some money. I just started off real well. I hit a great little sand wedge in -- actually a pretty big sand wedge on 10, hit to to about three and a half feet, four feet.

Then on 11, came back after the delay and the second shot was my first shot after the delay. He wanted me to hit 4 and I hit 5-iron. I had to get over the tree. I knew 5-iron is the only thing I can get close. Thankfully trees are 90 percent air because it went right through the middle and landed about three feet.

No. 12, I hit basically right in the middle of the green and made about a 30-footer. That got my attention.

Then made a nice up-and-down on the following hole, made about an 8-footer for par to save it.

No. 14, I hit a beautiful 6-iron, spun back to about 10 feet and was almost straight up the hill, little right-to-left break and made that. I kind of felt like hey, this is actually funny.

I didn't take advantage of 15 unfortunately. I just missed a putt there.

Then we had the last delay and we didn't hit any balls. There's no excuses, though. It was a great week and I'm just thrilled with the way I played and actually how I kind of composed myself all week. It was a nice change of pace. Usually I'm my own worst enemy out there chewing my ass for doing stupid stuff, but this week I let everything slide. I only had like five bogeys for the tournament so that wasn't much to chew on.

Q. Is this the most fun that you've had since Hazeltine?

RICH BEEM: Yeah. Actually at the NEC I had a lot of fun, too, but this is the most fun I've had in a long time. It's been so strange, this whole year. It's been a lot of fun, it's been awesome, but I haven't been playing well. I'm my own worst critic. I tried to come in with a little different attitude, just stay to stay more upbeat. That's basically the reason I played well, my attitude. I looked forward to being on the golf course and looked forward to being out there. That was a huge difference this week. I'm proud as punch for the way I did everything this week.

Unfortunately we've got a guy who's superhuman out here this week. There's going to be times when he does this to fields, but that's okay.

Q. You sound like after you made birdie at 14 you felt like there might at least still be a glimmer of hope?

RICH BEEM: Absolutely. I said that this morning. It's a 72-hole event. We're not going to hand him the golf tournament. Obviously according to the newspaper this morning it was a deadlock, one of the Chicago deals, "it's a laugher". I mean, it's a 72-hole tournament and anything is possible. Obviously this golf course completely suited his game this week and he was on, and that's what he does to golf courses when he's on.

I actually thought I had a glimmer of hope after the putt on 14. I got his attention. We went back in the locker room and he said, "hey, slow down, man." It was nice. I'm glad the way I played.

Q. Was not making birdie at 15, was that the point where --

RICH BEEM: It wasn't a huge turning point because I still had three holes left but I thought if I could have made birdie or even eagle there then it might have been a little different, but he's so solid mentally that it would have been tough to rattle him. Like I said, I'm just more pleased with the way I did things coming down the stretch. I outlasted 154 guys.

Q. The shot on 11, was it going right to the hole? Did it look like it had a possibility --

RICH BEEM: I never saw it to be brutally honest. All of a sudden I heard a bunch of people screaming and I asked Billy Ray Brown, and I said what happened, and he said trees are 90 percent air. Ball came down, nothing but air. That was pretty good. It landed almost pin high and stopped, like I said, within three feet. I mean, it was a lot of luck involved in that shot, but hey, that's what you need to do to play well and win or even contend in tournaments.

Q. Could I ask you to speculate? Could you imagine that this whole driver thing might have been a way for more Woods self-motivation?

RICH BEEM: No, I think he's just speaking what he feels is the truth, you know. Personally I don't think there's guys out here knowingly using hot drivers. If they are then I feel sorry for them, but I think that the integrity of all the Tour players out here is pretty strong, and I think for the most part, most of the players are self-policing and we play by the rules because we have to police ourselves on the golf course. I can't imagine anybody knowingly using a hot driver, and if they are I feel sorry for them.

Q. How impressed are you by what he did this week?

RICH BEEM: I was telling my caddie Bill on the range this morning as we were walking by, I said, you know, he's one of the only guys out here I would sit and watch hit balls all day long, just the way the golf ball comes off and how he moves it. It's quite impressive. I played unbelievably, actually the whole field, everybody played beautifully this week. He just kind of got into a groove. I think when you get into a groove, golf seems really easy and fun, and for him it's even easier than it is for everyone else. Obviously he's got unbelievable amounts of game. I could sit there and watch him hit golf balls all day long. It's that impressive.

Q. During the delays what did you do?

RICH BEEM: Ate pizza, ate pasta, ate cookies, drank some water, watched the guys play some cards, checked out the Women's U.S. Open, stupid stuff.

TODD BUDNICK: Can we have your other birdies and bogeys?

RICH BEEM: 3, I hit -- I don't know what I hit. It felt like yesterday already. I think I hit a wedge to 10 feet straight up the hill, made that.

No. 5, I hit it in two to about 15 feet and just missed that for eagle.

Then three-putted 8 for bogey. My only three-putt of the tournament unfortunately.

18, I drove it in the right bunker, actually had a good lie but my foot slipped, hit it in the greenside right bunker and blasted it out to about ten feet, just missed that. That was my only not up-and-down -- non-bunker save of the week and I'm pissed about it. I was batting 1.000. I had 7 for 7 or 8 for 8, and I missed it just on the low side. I've got to go work on my bunker game apparently (laughter).

Q. Your putting picked up this week?

RICH BEEM: Yeah, I took a nice lesson from a pro back home. We freed everything up. I was getting too square to it and I was trying to make a good stroke, and he said you've got to get in there and get comfortable. It might look funny, my feet cockeyed and my fidgeting with my hands, but before every shot I get comfortable and let it go. This week I felt comfortable for the first time I can remember, and it definitely showed. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can't continue my good play over there across the pond and hopefully make some putts.

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