Professional career
In 1967,Beman turned professional at age 29 and won four times on the PGA Tour between 1969 and 1973. He led for two rounds at the 1969 U.S. Open and finished one shot out of a playoff. Beman was considered short off the tee but complemented it with his short game. [6] Injuries curtailed his playing career. He retired as a player and closed his business practice to become PGA Tour Commissioner. [1]
PGA Tour commissioner
Beman was the second commissioner of the PGA Tour,succeeding Joe Dey in 1974. He introduced The Players Championship concept during this time and developed the Tournament Players Club network of courses around the United States. Beman converted the Tour into a 501-c6 non-profit organization and introduced pension plans for Tour players.
Under his watch,the Tour's board passed a policy requiring all tournaments to support a charitable initiative. Tour charitable contributions grew from less than $1 million a year in 1974 to more than $30 million in 1994. He formed the Senior PGA Tour,now the PGA Tour Champions,for players 50 and older in 1980 and the Ben Hogan Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) as golf's developmental circuit in 1990. In 1983,the Tour expanded the number of exempt players from the top-60 on the season money list to the top-125.
At a meeting on February 28,1994,the Presidents Cup,an international competition in conjunction with Beman's retirement announcement on the 20th anniversary of his appointment as Tour commissioner. During his tenure,the PGA Tour's assets grew from $400,000 in 1974 to a reported $260 million in 1994. [1] He was succeeded as commissioner by Tim Finchem,who served for over 22 years.
Senior career
After stepping down as tour commissioner in June 1994,Beman resumed his playing career,and competed in 69 senior events through the Constellation Energy Classic in 2005. In 2003,Beman contributed to the design of Cannon Ridge Golf Club with golf architect Bobby Weed,but the golf course was closed for play in 2012 and later again in 2017. [7]
A book chronicling his 20-year tenure as Commissioner was published in 2011,entitled Deane Beman:Golf's Driving Force,by Adam Schupak.
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