After losing card, Beem goes to work securing future

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SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The timing could not have been worse last year for Rich Beem, who failed to keep full status on the PGA TOUR for the first time in 10 years as his sponsorship deals expired and the economy soured.

Beem

But when he started the new season two months later, Beem had a new lineup of sponsors for about the same amount of money.

How did the former PGA champion manage such a feat?

"Basically, I just hit the pavement," Beem said, sounding like a salesman, which he was.

Two days after he finished the year at No. 140 on the money list, Beem pulled out his phone book and pored through a stack of business cards he had collected over his last decade on the PGA TOUR and tried to strike a deal.

"As soon as I got done, I just got on the phone," Beem said. "I called up people I knew, either CEOs of their business or high enough up and said, 'Listen, you had talk about doing something with golf, would you like to get into it?'"

His agent helped him negotiate a modest renewal with Callaway Golf (bag, clubs, ball, glove and a logo on the shirt) and a modified deal with Mars, the parent company of Uncle Ben's rice. Beem used to wear the logo on his cap, and now will do corporate outings.

Beem did the rest on his own.

On his cap is Guggenheim Properties, a private financial services firm with offices in Chicago and New York, courtesy of a longtime relationship with Jack Salerno. On the sleeve of his shirt is Nelson Financial Group -- Beem is neighbors in Idaho with one of the executives. He also arranged deals with Oakley (clothing, sunglasses).

None of these would be considered blockbuster deals, but each have a personal touch, and provide enough for Beem to take care of travel expenses as he tries to get by on a schedule built on sponsor exemptions and his conditional status.

And it's a valuable lesson for players to pay attention to the people they meet on the PGA TOUR.

"The best salesperson for anybody is yourself, especially in this game," Beem said. "You can sell yourself in pro-ams. How many people do we play golf with? Every week, someone gives me a card, a phone number. They tell you, 'Anytime you're in town, if you want to get together for dinner,' or 'Anything I can do to help you out.'"

Beem met Salerno at Winged Foot during an outing 11 years ago. Salerno gave him his card, told him to call him if he was ever in Chicago and wanted to play Butler National. Beem took him up on the offer, shot 62 at Butler for the unofficial course record and "we've been fast friends ever since."

Beem is comfortable in social settings. Instead of looking at pro-ams as a burden, he sees them as opportunity.