By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, June 4

Details
When	Thursday-Sunday
Course	TPC at Avenel, Potomac, Md.
Par/Yardage	Par 71; 7,005 yards
Purse	$3 million (Winner: $540,000)
1999 champion	Rich Beem
Tournament record	21-under 263 (Billy Andrade, 1991; Jeff Sluman, 1991)
Television	Thursday-Friday: 3:30-6 p.m. (TGC) Saturday: 4-6 p.m. ET (CBS) Sunday: 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	4	393
	2	5	622
	3	3	239
	4	4	435
	5	4	359
	6	5	520
	7	4	461
	8	4	453
	9	3	166
	Out	36	3648
	10	4	374
	11	3	165
	12	4	472
	13	5	524
	14	4	301
	15	4	467
	16	4	415
	17	3	195
	18	4	444
	In	35	3357
	Total	71	7005
	Key holes: The back nine at Avenel is tricky, with just one par-5, a variety of par-4s, and water in play on the first five holes after the turn. No. 14 requires some deep thought. At just 301 yards, it's reachable from the tee, but you'd better be straight. Most players will lay up and try to attack the pin with a wedge. It is followed by another par-4, but No. 15 is 166 yards longer. The drive must find the fairway to have any chance of holding the green with an approach.

The Ryder Cup comeback by Team USA. That winning streak by Tiger Woods at the end of the season. A 59 on Sunday to win the Bob Hope Classic by David Duval.

Great moments from 1999, but the Kemper Open added one of the best and least expected when rookie Rich Beem won at the TPC at Avenel. An absolute unknown to fans, Beem held off Bradley Hughes and Bill Glasson by one shot to complete the most amazing story of the year.

Just two years earlier, Beem was selling cellular phones in Seattle. But inspired by the success of J.L. Lewis, a fellow pro from El Paso, Texas, Beem decided to give golf one more shot.

He played some mini-tours in the New Mexico area, gave Q-School and shot and made it through, then played the PGA Tour in 1999 with little success -- except for one week in May at Kemper.

Beem went wire-to-wire, shooting 66-67 in the opening rounds to take command of the tournament. By the time the Sunday jitters arrived, he had built a three-shot lead and wobbled in for the victory. You could almost hear his knees knocking on the 72nd green as he dropped a 3-footer for bogey and the title.

Beem is back on tour this year, playing often as he cashes in on his Kemper success. He's made just five cuts in 16 starts and stands 132nd on the money list.

Most of the big names are skipping this event as players prepare for the U.S. Open in two weeks at Pebble Beach. Ernie Els, Tom Lehman and Justin Leonard are in the field, but Tiger Woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh are among those bypassing Kemper.

The tournament has been around since 1968, with Arnold Palmer winning the first event. Tom Weiskopf is the only three-time champion, while Craig Stadler, Greg Norman and Bill Glasson are two-time winners of the tournament. Glasson is back for another shot, but Norman and Stadler are not in the field.

Next week, the tour heads to Westchester and the Buick Classic, the final tuneup for the U.S. Open.

A dozen players to watch
Billy Andrade: Andrade has struggled in 2000, missing 10 cuts in 16 starts. After two good weeks in Texas, he missed the cut last week at Memorial. Andrade set the tournament record in this event in 1991 at 21-under.

Stuart Appleby: Appleby hasn't put together four good rounds in one week this year, although he's played fairly well. He won for the first time on the PGA Tour at this event in 1997 and tied for sixth here last year.

Stewart Cink: Cink has had a breakthrough season, winning at Harbour Towne and almost getting a second victory at Colonial before Phil Mickelson shot past him on the back nine. He's 10th on the money list and already qualified for both the U.S. and British opens.

Ernie Els: For the third time this season, Els finished second last week at Memorial. For the second time, he fell victim to Tiger Woods. That won't be the case this week, and he should bring confidence into the week after a strong Sunday at Memorial.

Fred Funk: The local guy should play well at Avenel given his straight game off the tee. It will come down to his putter. He has made 12 of 14 cuts this year but has just one top-10 finish. Playing in Maryland could be the trick to boost his game.

Bill Glasson: It's been another year of aches and pains for Glasson, who has played just 12 events. His best finish came last week at Memorial with a tie for 20th. He's a two-time Kemper champion who almost got No. 3 last year, falling one stroke shy of Beem.

Lee Janzen: Janzen has been spinning his wheels most of the season, with just one top-10 finish, unable to put togehter four strong rounds and missing three of his last six cuts. He won this event in 1995.

Tom Lehman: After a blistering start to the 2000 season, including a win at Phoenix, Lehman has cooled down. His focus is on the U.S. Open in two weeks, and what better way to prepare than to get a win this week.

Justin Leonard: Leonard finally showed signs of life last week at Memorial, where he tied for second. It was his first top-10 finish since last year's Canadian Open. Poor putting has been the culprit. This is a huge week for Leonard, who needs to continue last week's trend.

Steve Stricker: Stricker has been extremely inconsistent this year, missing five of his last eight cuts. Yet in the middle of that stretch, he nearly won in New Orleans. Stricker won this event in 1996 and had a top-10 finish last year.

David Toms: A two-time winner last summer, it's about time for Toms to heat up in 2000. He's made 11 consecutive cuts, including a tie for fourth in his last start at Colonial.

Kirk Triplett: It's been a banner year for Triplett, who picked up his first victory at Riviera and has six top-10 finishes. He's earned berths in both the U.S. and British opens. Game hasn't been as strong since end of West Coast swing, but finished 13th at Colonial in last start.