Who's who: Deane Beman

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Deane Beman

  • Name:

    Deane Beman
  • Country:

    USA
  • Born:

    April 22, 1938 in Washington, DC.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Washington, DC
  • Occupation:

    Amateur golfer; professional golfer; PGA Tour Commissioner (1974-94); golf course designer.
  • Turned Pro:

    1967

Roll of Honour

Amateur MAJORS (3): British Amateur (1959); US Amateur (1960, 1963). Walker Cup player (1959, '61, '63, '65). PGA Tour wins (4). Donald Ross Award (1986, ASGCA). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 2000). Don A. Rossi Award (2017, GCBAA).

Golf course design

Cannon Ridge GC, Virginia (2003, with Bobby Weed).

Did you know?

Beman's time as Commissioner of the PGA Tour was marked by several lasting and innovative developments that greatly benefitted golf in the United States and beyond. Under his watch, the Tournament Players Club (TPC) network of courses was developed; all PGA Tour events were required to support a charitable initiative; the Senior PGA Tour came into being; the Presidents Cup was launched, and the Tour's assets grew from $400,000 to $260 million.

As part of the TPC network development, Beman became known as the "Father of Stadium Golf." He was the driving force behind the TPC Stadium Course at Sawgrass (designed by Pete Dye), which has become a permanent home for the Tour players' Championship.

Top tournaments won by Deane Beman

1972
America
Crow Valley
279 (-5)
$20,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Venue

Crow Valley

Score

279 (-5)

Prize money

$20,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Quad Cities Open (Sept 28-Oct 1; first year as a PGA Tour event). Second-placed tour-rookie Tom Watson (USA) finished 1 shot behind defending champion Beman (USA). [Crow Valley GC, Davenport, Iowa].

1971
America
Crow Valley
277 (-7)
$5,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Venue

Crow Valley

Score

277 (-7)

Prize money

$5,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the inaugural Quad Cities Open (Sept 16-19; PGA Tour "satellite" event). Second-placed Dow Finsterwald (USA) finished 2 shots behind Beman (USA). [Crow Valley GC, Davenport, Iowa].

1970
America
North Shore CC, Wisc.
276 (-12)
$22,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Venue

North Shore CC, Wisc.

Score

276 (-12)

Prize money

$22,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Greater Milwaukee Open July 9-12). Second-placed Don Massengale (USA) finished 3 shots behind Deane Beman (USA), who recorded his second PGA Tour win. [North Shore CC, Mequon, nr Milwaukee, Wisc.].

1969
America
Pecan Valley
274 (-10)
$20,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Venue

Pecan Valley

Score

274 (-10)

Prize money

$20,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Texas Open Invitational (May 8-11). 31-year-old Deane Beman (USA) beat Jack McGowan (USA) with a birdie at the first playoff hole, to record the first of his four wins on the PGA Tour. In 1974 Beman became the PGA Tour's commissioner, serving in that position for 20 years. [Pecan Valley GC, San Antonio, Texas. This course is now closed].

1963
Amateur
Wakonda Club
2 & 1
amateur
USGA

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Venue

Wakonda Club

Score

2 & 1

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Amateur Championship (63rd) (Sept 9-14). Deane Beman (USA) beat Richard Sikes (USA) 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final. [Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa].

1960
Amateur
6 & 4
amateur
USGA

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Score

6 & 4

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Amateur Championship (60th) (Sept 12-17). Deane Beman (USA) beat Robert Gardner (USA) 6 and 4 in the 36-hole final. [St Louis CC, Clayton, Missouri].

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Beman, Deane

Score

3 & 2

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

R&A

The Amateur Championship (64th). Beman (USA) beat Bill Hyndman (USA) 3 and 2 in the final. [Royal St George's GC, Sandwich, Kent].

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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