Simon Bruty

Bogey on the last hole, 68 for the round, 10 under for the tournament, 278 for four days of hard work. In other words, on Sunday at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., 5'8", 153-pound Rich Beem, who will turn 32 on Saturday, did what nobody else has ever done anywhere: He beat Tiger Woods in a major championship by a shot. Woods had his first runner-up finish in one of the four ancient titles, the ones by which the great careers are measured. Maybe it will be his last, but not likely. Jack Nicklaus, whose record is Woods's grail, won 18 majors and was runner-up 19 times. Woods is now at eight and one. He lives for majors, and the next one is almost eight months away. Rich Beem took a piece of Tiger Woods on Sunday.

-from "Tiger Tamer" by Michael Bamberger, Sports Illustrated, Aug. 26, 2002