Deane Beman : Golf's Driving Force

Once called The Most Powerful Person in Golf, former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman transformed the Tour into the success story it is today. Using never-before-seen documents and candid interviews with hundreds of players, associates, and corporate chieftains, the book offers an intimate portrait of Beman's shift from hardened competitor to an executive of change, who inherited a Tour that owned as its largest capital asset an IBM typewriter. Golf's Driving Force discloses how during his 20-year tenure Beman transformed a loosely-knit association of tournaments into the envy of the sports world. Discover how Beman survives a coup led by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, conceives the TPC network of courses, and orchestrates deals that made the Tour one of the most successful enterprises in sports.

Deane Beman has had more influence on professional golf than any man in history. Among sports commissioners, he rates ahead of Landis and Rozelle. They built it; he invented it. If you care about the game, you'll want to read this book. --Jerry Tarde, Editor-in-Chief of Golf Digest

Without Deane Beman, there wouldn t be a PGA Tour, a Players Championship, or a TPC Sawgrass as we know it. This is an inside read on how it all came together where the bodies are buried, so to speak. This isn't just Deane's memoirs; the reporting and writing of Adam Schupak make it a history lesson about a pioneer and game changer. --Tim Rosaforte, Golf World/Golf Digest, Golf Channel and NBC Sports

No one can doubt that Deane Beman was a visionary. But what is too often overlooked is how much he loves the game. Beman decided a taciturn leadership style was what best served the PGA Tour when he was transforming it into a major sports league, but the public was mostly denied the best part of the man. In Golf s Driving Force, Adam Schupak brings us the Deane Beman we missed. The result is a fascinating and diligently reported narrative that reveals important history. If you care about golf and especially if you love it read this book. --Jaime Diaz, Senior Writer at Golf Digest/Golf World