New Headline: "Tiger Woods' Former Player Shines in PGA Classic

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The British Amateur trophy, a check for his first payday earned on the PGA Tour for a whopping $500, a silver tray for winning the Masters Par-3 Contest in 1960, a key to the city of Fort Worth, Texas, the gold pen that signed deals big and small. Those were among the mementos from a life well lived in golf by Deane Beman as both a player and administrator on the PGA Tour.

On Tuesday, the Tour unveiled the Deane Beman Den, dedicating the previously known Den space inside Tour Headquarters in honor of the former Commissioner from 1974-1994, who transformed a loosely knit association of tournaments into the envy of the sports world. “It’s incredibly meaningful to see these different periods of my life brought together in one place,” said Beman. “The PGA Tour has always been about people—players, staff, partners and fans—and I’m grateful to have been part of its growth.

I hope this space reflects the spirit of collaboration and ambition that defined those years. ” The moment also marked a significant occasion for the organization, as Beman, 87, stood alongside his successor Tim Finchem, current Commissioner Jay Monahan and PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp—bringing together the Tour’s leadership across four eras for the first time. During the all-staff gathering at Tour Headquarters, Rolapp and Monahan spoke about Beman’s impact and invited him to share stories from the three stages of his life.

During his remarks, Beman got choked up with emotion. It was a wonderful occasion that occurred at the tail end of the Tour’s Town Hall meeting with the entire staff flooding the main floor and standing in the hallways above. It brought back other key cogs from Beman’s era (and their spouses) including Dale Antrum, Mike Bodney, Duke Butler, Bill Calfee, Bob Dickson, Vernon Kelly, Ed Moorhouse, Mike Shea, Tim Smith, Bobby Weed, Sid Wilson and Charlie Zink.