Surprise, surprise - Beem beats Tiger

The Associated Press

CHASKA, Minn. -- The PGA Championship was on the line. Tiger Woods was on his heels.

Rich Beem figured he had nothing to lose.

No one expected a former stereo salesman to stand up against the world's best player in the stifling Sunday pressure of a major championship. Beem himself had said that guys like him aren't supposed to win majors.

But it was Beem who nailed a 5-wood within 6 feet for an eagle on the 11th hole to seize control. It was Beem who made a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 16 as Woods was whipping the Hazeltine gallery into a frenzy with four birdies on the final four holes.

And yes, that was Beem doing a shimmy shake on the 18th green after finishing off his stunning victory in the final major of the year.

"I probably looked like a total idiot out there, but you know what? I won," Beem said.

Who would have guessed that?

Seven years ago, he was selling car stereos and cell phones for $7 an hour in Seattle. On Sunday, he stared down Woods during a crucial stretch of holes and never flinched when Woods put together a spectacular charge.

Beem played without fear and was rewarded with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Woods. His only three-putt of the week came on the 18th when it didn't matter.

When he rapped home the final putt, Beem raised his arms and took a bow, then jogged over and planted a kiss on the Wanamker Trophy.

"I'm still surprised at myself," Beem said. "I'm elated beyond belief. I was a lot more in control of my emotions than I ever have been under that kind of pressure."

Woods did his part. Unwilling to give up after back-to-back bogeys, Woods birdied the final four holes to keep alive his hopes of becoming the first player to win the three U.S. majors in the same year.

Woods watched the final putt on a television in the scoring trailer. He had told caddie Steve Williams that four birdies on the final four holes would be enough to win the tournament.

"I went ahead and birdied out, and we didn't win," Woods said. "At least I gave it my best effort. We just came out a little bit short."

Woods closed with a 67, matching the best score of the day.

Chris Riley shot a 70 and was third at 283, his best finish in a major and good for a trip to the Masters next year.

The season's final major has seen this before. Beem, who finished at 10-under 278, became the 12th player to make the PGA Championship his first major victory.

One of those was John Daly, who won in 1991 as the ninth alternate. Beem played a practice round with him on Tuesday.

"I think this win is similar to John's win in that he just went out and freewheeled it," Beem said. "He had nothing to lose -- like I felt."

What set Beem apart from a long list of surprising winners was the guy chasing him.

All year long, proud champions like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have complained that too many players wilt when they see Woods' name on the leaderboard.

Woods showed up quickly with three birdies and two amazing pars on the front nine, putting him just one stroke behind Beem with nine holes to play.

Beem didn't buckle. He simply continued to blast away.

Hitting driver on just about every hole and attacking the pins, Beem turned a one-stroke advantage into a six-stroke lead over Woods in a matter of four holes.

The biggest was his 5-wood second shot on the 597-yard 11th hole.

"Come on! Come on!" Beem yelled as the ball soared over a cluster of bunkers, landed on the front of the green and didn't stop rolling until it was 6 feet from the cup. He made that for eagle to get to 10 under.

Woods played in the group ahead of Beem, although he knew who was on top.

A scoreboard was directly behind the cup on No. 13 as Woods stood over a 12-foot birdie putt that would have pulled him within two strokes of the lead. Instead, he three-putted for bogey, then dropped another shot on the next hole.

The key putt came on No. 16, the pivotal hole when Payne Stewart won the 1991 U.S. Open at Hazeltine. Beem begged his 9-iron to clear a marsh on the corner of Lake Hazeltine, and it barely did. His 35-foot birdie putt was true.

Beem pumped his fist and heaved his ball in celebration.

"I had no expectations," Beem said. "I really enjoyed this golf course. I thought I could get around it. But I never expected this."

Beem keeps a bottle of antacid in his bag and takes a swig before the round to calm his nerves.

Give the man a bottle of champagne. He's the toast of golf.

Beem collected $990,000 and a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and to the three other majors. He can return to the PGA Championship as long as he likes.

Not bad for a guy who gave up the game in 1995 and decided he was better off in a blue-collar job.

He was called a "one-hit wonder" when he won the Kemper Open as a rookie in 1999, especially when he didn't have any top 10s the next year and only narrowly kept his job for this season.

"To win a major, you have to have something special," he said Saturday evening. "And I don't know if I have it."

He does now.

Beem took the lead for the first time with a bogey on No. 8 -- Justin Leonard made double bogey by hitting into the water -- and he never gave it back.

"He just trusted and believed in himself and he got the job done," Woods said. "Sometimes it may be a benefit to be a little naive in a situation."

Leonard had been in that situation before, but simply didn't have the game Sunday to stay with Beem.

The '97 British Open champion, and a runner-up at Carnoustie three years ago, Leonard struggled to hit fairways and greens. His three-stroke lead was gone after four holes, and he wound up with a 77, tied for fourth with Fred Funk (73) at 284.