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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2009

Rich Beem

CHASKA, MINNESOTA

RICH BEEM: Just a couple of guys just having a nice quiet 3-ball day out there. Of course about 30,000 people screaming their heads off. It was a blast.

Q. You talked about that going into this thing that maybe you could elevate your game as well, you had the one tough ball, and other than that you're pretty satisfied with the way you played?
RICH BEEM: Yeah, I played fantastic. I'm not 100 percent comfortable with the putter, but I managed to roll in a couple of putts that spurred me on a little bit. I drove the ball great. This golf course off the tee just sets up so good for me. I just love it. The last time I played here, it's just fantastic for me. It's just a fun golf course for me to play. One of those courses you like to play.

Q. Describe the atmosphere playing with Tiger and Padraig out there today.
RICH BEEM: I thought they were playing with me (Laughter).

Q. You are the champ.
RICH BEEM: Yeah, exactly. We had a blast out there, tons of people following us and watching and screaming. It was fun.

Q. When was the last time you played with Tiger?
RICH BEEM: Couple years ago, maybe. I don't remember.

Q. Pretty good idea how those guys have won, what is it, five of the last nine majors today. 5 under and 4 under and I think 2 on the board?
RICH BEEM: Yeah, we all -- yeah, like Paddy said, on the 3rd tee box it's tough to get the tee box, guys making birdies. We all played solid. Obviously Tiger and Padraig were more efficient than I was. But we all had really good days.

Q. (Indiscernible)
RICH BEEM: I couldn't see it from where I was hitting it from, but the way the crowd reacted, sounded like it was pretty close and it went in.

Q. The galleries?
RICH BEEM: They're great, as always. The fans up here are just fantastic. They're very enthusiastic. But they're also very respectful. Can't ask for any more than that.

Q. Question to you as a fellow player, playing with Tiger, how he played today?
RICH BEEM: Just how efficient he played today. It wasn't anything crazy. He made maybe one long putt today. But he's just very efficient. Never looked like he was going to make bogey. Made a couple putts on 18 and No. 1, but other than that, very efficient.
And no big tee shots way right or way left or anything like that. It was easy.

Q. What about Quiros on 11?
RICH BEEM: Funny thing is we were like holy. Put a couple of asterisks in there. Just unbelievable. I can't believe how far he hit those two shots. Killed a driver and 3-wood and 86 yards for the hole. He's 86 yards further than me in two.

Q. What about the big wind tomorrow, forecasting big winds tomorrow?
RICH BEEM: Great. Let's go. What else am I going to do? I can't control that. So, yeah, I don't know. It's going to be tough and we'll go out there and get it done.

Q. When you saw the pairing, were you motivated?
RICH BEEM: Yes and no. I mean, I don't know. It's kind of one of those things. I think when you first see it you're like okay and then you're, oh, no, and then you're like, oh, no. At the end of the day you just know that you've got to bring your A game because if not, you're just -- you've got to play well. You've got 35,000 people out there. You don't want to embarrass yourself. There's more incentive, absolutely.

Q. Anything you like out there?
RICH BEEM: It doesn't matter. The point of the matter is I didn't pay attention to it. I just love playing golf. It might be different if I was on a golf course I wasn't familiar with. I'm just comfortable with this golf course.

Q. What's most memorable?
RICH BEEM: Nothing stands out.

Q. Very efficient, 5-under, left a couple of putts.
RICH BEEM: Every person in the field could have been, could have been. But he made those par putts on 18 and 1. What happens if he misses? I think he shot probably what he should have shot. Played really well. He could have made the putt on 8 and 9 but he didn't. And that's the way it goes.

Q. How is it to feel that he's that efficient?
RICH BEEM: Kind of ominous. I think he's got a pretty good track record. But there's three more days to go. If it blows like hell tomorrow like they're expecting it to, it might bode well for the rest of the field. It might not, who knows.

Q. Do you think you could win this week?
RICH BEEM: Absolutely. I love to golf. I really enjoy playing this golf course. It's a lot of fun. Playing those two guys is certainly -- you know they're going to play well. So usually when guys play well around you, they kind of drag you with them.

Q. Is there anything when you were going around today that stood out, any vivid memories?
RICH BEEM: No. Unfortunately the golf course is a lot longer where No. 12, back about 235, I go, I don't think we had this the last time we were here. There were a couple times out there we hit a lot longer clubs in there. It's funny, looks like they changed the mowing patterns where they kind of mowed the fairways with it because on 6 and 7 we hit it out there. It was unbelievable. The golf course has been played downwind and played a lot shorter. But back in the fan it's --

Q. (Indiscernible.)
RICH BEEM: I'm telling you, baby, I'm going to go get a back rub and a massage, feed me grapes like in the good old days.

Q. On No. 7, struggling.
RICH BEEM: No. 3, you mean.

Q. No. 3. Were you trying to get some momentum going?
RICH BEEM: I was trying to get it on the green somehow. It was a horrible lie. Downhill slope over a bunker. I really didn't have any idea -- I thought it was going to come out maybe squirting a little bit right. But it came out squirting less than that. And that's not good.

Q. Obviously when Tiger plays he gets roars. Did you feel you had your own gallery out there?
RICH BEEM: Yeah, it was good. I had a bunch of people cheering out there for me as well. It was good. Not obviously like Tiger. But, hey, nobody's quite like that.

Q. You're a member after all?
RICH BEEM: I am a member. Didn't get a whole lot of member bounces.

End of FastScripts

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