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For the younger generation of golf fans, Rich Beem is the effervescent pundit who has walked us through some of the game’s biggest moments for a decade at Sky Sports.

Beem’s legacy in this sport, however, will always be defined by his dramatic PGA Championship win back in 2002.

The three-time PGA Tour winner fended off Tiger Woods at Hazeltine National to win his sole major 23 years ago – and has been able to compete in the major as a past champion ever since.

In fact, Beem has only ever missed the tournament twice since his crowning moment, most recently skipping the 2023 edition won by Brooks Koepka at Oak Hill.

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And while the 54-year-old has relished the privilege of returning as a past champion, it appears that his days of being a ceremonial golfer are over.

“I missed Oak Hill in 2023 because I knew that I couldn’t handle it,” he told talkSPORT, “and I only played Valhalla last year because my family asked me to. My wife and kids wanted me to go there.”

Beem finished 20-over-par for his two rounds at Valhalla.

“I learned my lesson and got very humbled, finishing dead last after 36 holes,” he admitted.

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“As a professional golfer, even though I’m a professional commentator now, that sucked. I toyed with the idea of playing this year, but I knew months ago that I wasn’t going to be ready for it.”

So there will be no ‘Beemer’ in the field at Quail Hollow this week – and the American is planning for a poignant goodbye to the tournament when it returns to his home state in two years’ time.

“I will play one more time in 2027 when it’s in Frisco for the first time ever at the new home of the PGA of America,” he said. “That’s because it’s in Texas, where I live, and I will hopefully have a lot of friends and family out there rooting me on.”