THE SENIOR OPEN PRESENTED BY ROLEX

July 28, 2023

Rich Beem

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Thanks for coming down to chat with us. Let's get to the obvious. Describe the putt for birdie to secure your place in the weekend?

RICH BEEM: That little half-bunker shot in there. Just kind of lost focus for one brief second and that's what happens, and you know, just Michael has been a great reader of putts all week and we just kind of figured, you know what, looks like pretty straight and been begging me, begging me, hit it hard enough to get in the hole and finally I hit one hard enough to go in the hole.

Yeah, that was a blast. That was obviously a surprise. But I was fighting hard out there to make the cut. It wasn't easy.

Q. How much does it mean to have Michael on the bag?

RICH BEEM: I got goosebumps just because you asked me that. It means the world to me. I've been with him all month over here and it's been probably one of the most extraordinary months I've had since I've been doing the job that you and I have commentating, just to get a chance to spend time with him.

Played a lot of golf early in the trip with him but to have him on the bag this week, he's been a tremendous support and read great putts, and just been a massive bonus this week to have him on the bag.

Q. You were 4-over in brutally difficult conditions, and now level par to make the cut.

RICH BEEM: The first four holes, they punch you right in the jaw. You just get out there and it's just one of those things where it's blowing, a little chilly and you're just trying to survive. To be fair, I didn't hit too many bad shots. I just didn't get the ball in the hole quick enough. Standing on the 5th tee, I'm like, finally, we're going downwind for a change. Let's see if we can't have a little bit more fun now.

Again, as you and I know, it's more about hanging tough and just trying to grind out a round, so just to get it in the house yesterday plus four, I was awfully happy about that.

Then today, I had a really good warmup session and hitting the ball solid all day. One of those things where I made just one or two mistakes, got a bad break and that's the way golf goals but to stick around for 36 more holes, woo-hoo.

Q. I think it's a tremendous performance because you've been sharing a hat with my commentary colleagues. That can't be easy.

RICH BEEM: Trust me, I'm out there thinking, if I don't make the cut this weekend, I have to sit inside with these guys, no thank you -- (laughing). I'll be in there as soon as I get done playing tomorrow just to be on the team again.

But it's been a blast. This is so much fun.