WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 25, 2002

Rich Beem

RICH BEEM: Well, that's probably for the writers to decide, because the writers put him on a pedestal, to begin with. I think the players are out here. They're trying their hardest out here. Obviously when he's on his game, then he's obviously really hard to beat. But he's not -- he's not unbeatable. But at the same time, who knows, maybe he's exhausted from the last couple of weeks. Maybe this golf course didn't fit him. I don't know how he played in the PGA here last time. Maybe there's something about this golf course that doesn't suit him. I don't know what the answers are. Maybe the aura is bigger around him, because he's been beat twice in a row. There's a lot of good players here, just because the No. 1 player doesn't win two weeks in a row. Shoot, he wins Buick, he finishes runner up last week, and probably close to runner up this week. It's not bad.

Q. Were you out late last night on your birthday?

RICH BEEM: I stayed up later than I wanted to. Gosh, it was almost a four-hour dinner, because we had so many people. At the Metropolitan Grill. And the service was absolutely fantastic. They were great. And then as soon as we got done, we went up to Belltown Billiard to play a couple of games of pool?

Q. Maybe you haven't had a chance yet, to sit back and take your breath (inaudible.)

RICH BEEM: I don't know. I know I'm playing good. Every time I'm looking up, the ball is going to the hole. And days past it didn't; you'd missed a green or hook it or fade it just a yard or two too much, and it kicks down and you get a terrible lie, and you make bogey. Right now they're staying on-line and they're getting close and I'm making birdie. It's just amazing. It's a great ride. When you play well, really good things happen to you, and they did again today. I got some good breaks out there, and that's just what it takes.

Q. You won last week, and it looks like Craig Parry is going to win. The guys that really connect with the gallery. Can you talk about what makes you and Craig just so accessible to the fans?

RICH BEEM: Craig is probably a lot like me. You don't know too much about him because he hasn't won a lot out here. He's not one of the elites. But he hits it straight. He hits it hard. I played with him this year at Doral, and he's a good, solid player. It's just something that you don't -- just because you don't see him on an everyday basis, people don't know what to think about him or his game. He's a little more inviting than some of the super stars. So I think it's great that Craig is going to win. I know how much this is going to mean to him. This is the first win in America. He's won numerous times overseas and abroad. I think this is going to do a lot for him and his confidence.

Q. On that 17th tee, you were sitting down there, were you tired?

RICH BEEM: I was exhausted and I was trying to take some deep breaths. But I was just exhausted. That's about all.

Q. What's the next month look for you?

RICH BEEM: Taking the next two weeks off, which is very -- I'm totally excited about it. But then after that I go over to Germany for a tournament, then up to Ireland for another World Championship event, and back to Texas for the -- back to San Antonio for the Texas Open. That's a fun tournament for me.

End of FastScripts....