What Rich Beem said to Tiger Woods before beating him at the PGA Championship which he really regretted

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Rich Beem may forever be known as the man who beat Tiger Woods.

His incredible underdog victory at the 2002 PGA Championship will live long in the memory, as Beem beat Woods by one stroke at Hazeltine National Golf Club. He entered the final day three strokes back from Justin Leonard, and fended off Woods down the stretch to win his only major win. 

In fact, Beem didn’t win a PGA Tour event after that PGA Championship. Woods got revenge on Beem by beating him at the 2003 Western Open, and Beem lost in a playoff to Phil Mickelson at the 2005 Bellsouth Classic.

Woods is the greatest golfer of all time and was an eight-time major winner at the 2002 PGA Championship. He was also one of the most intense competitors ever, and Woods played mind games with his opponents to throw them off on the biggest stages.

That’s why Beem deserves immense credit for his mental fortitude during his major win. But what he said to Woods before his final round didn’t do him any favours on that front.

What Rich Beem said to Tiger Woods before beating him, ‘Good luck…’

Woods’ aura alone was enough to throw off his competition during these events. That is part of what made him an overwhelming favorite whenever he was in contention on Sunday.

Going into his final round at the 2002 PGA Championship, Woods was five shots off the lead. But all eyes were on him to see if he could mount a comeback against the leading group of Beem and Leonard.

And speaking to Iona Stephen on the On the Road with Iona YouTube channel, Beem admitted that he may have given up the mental edge to Woods before the final round even began.

He explained: “There was something really funny that happened before I even teed off. Tiger was in the group ahead of us.

“So, I was with Justin Leonard in the final group, and I was walking from the driving range over the chipping green, and Tiger was walking back with Stevie and Butch, obviously, and I walked by and I said, ‘Hey, Tiger, good luck today.’

“Or I said, ‘Oh, hey Tiger, play well today.’ Something like that. I’m like, ‘Who in their damn mind tells Tiger good luck or play well today? What am I thinking?’ Right? Like, who in their right mind says that?

“And yet I said something, in fact, either, ‘Hey, good luck today, play well’ or whatever, like ‘Tiger, I hope you shoot 80 son of b—h’. I should have said that. But you know, it came out just me being me, that’s just my personality. But I thought that was pretty funny.

“I think my caddy, he kind of goes, ‘What did you just say?’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about it, let’s forget about that, let’s just kind of put that out the mind.'” 

Woods chased Beem down in a dramatic finish. He birdied each of the last four holes to post a 9-under score, piling the pressure on. But Beem hung on, and with a bogey on the 18th, secured the win by a single stroke. 

Rich Beem says why he didn’t want to win ‘anything big’ after beating Tiger Woods

Beating Woods took everything out of Beem. He explained why winning a major against him was so draining that he has no desire to take another big victory.

He said, “My body just felt like I was just rubber. I was gone. My body, physically and mentally. I was drained. I was completely wiped out.

“But that’s what it takes to win a tournament like that. You have to give everything physically and mentally. And I can tell you, I’ve never felt that much stress and pressure in the final 36 holes of my life. I’ll remember that till the day I die.

“And that’s why I certainly don’t want to go out there and win anything big ever again except for the Senior Open in Sunningdale, so I can play the Open Championship next year.”

Beem will be competing at Sunningdale for the 2026 Senior Open, and the winner will secure a spot at The Open Championship. So if all goes well for the American, we may well see him on the big stage once more.