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'He always took care of the kids': Friends of Andy Bean organize tourney for The First Tee

raymond beasock
·3 min read
Riley Darby putts under the watch full eye of Andy Bean during the Barkley, Bean, Bryant and Friends Celebrity Skins Game at The First Tee of Lakeland in 2015.
Riley Darby putts under the watch full eye of Andy Bean during the Barkley, Bean, Bryant and Friends Celebrity Skins Game at The First Tee of Lakeland in 2015.

When Andy Bean died on Oct. 13, there was no doubt a gaping hole would be left in regard to his contributions to the youth golf scene in Lakeland and Polk County.

Not only was Bean instrumental in fundraising for the now defunct Barkley, Bean, Bryant and Friends Tournament, which raised millions of dollars for the First Tee of Lakeland, he was also a steward of the game.

Bean could be counted on to patrol local golf courses in a cart and seek out young people to give them a quick lesson, or a friendly word of advice.

T.J. Wright, the executive director of The First Tee of Lakeland, was one of those lucky youngsters growing up.

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“Andy’s reach was more than just fundraising,” said Wright, who is also the vice president of administration for the YMCA of West Central Florida. “He cared about getting kids to the facility. I was one of those kids. If it wasn’t for Andy ... he was the only reason I had a membership (to The First Tee). I couldn’t afford it. I wouldn’t even be in the role I am today if it wasn’t for him. He impacted so many lives.”

Bean’s impact will be celebrated on Monday with the Andy Bean Memorial Golf Tournament at Grasslands Golf & Country Club.

The $1,000-a-team, 4-man scramble event has already sold out its 33 playing slots and is taking on more and more sponsors as the event draws nearer.

Andy Bean talks with a young golfer in 2003 on the day The First Tee youth golf program announced a Lakeland chapter. Behind him is LPGA golfer Rachel Teske.
Andy Bean talks with a young golfer in 2003 on the day The First Tee youth golf program announced a Lakeland chapter. Behind him is LPGA golfer Rachel Teske.

All proceeds will go to The First Tee of Lakeland, with auctions and raffles adding to the fundraising effort.  Notable people who have expressed their intent to attend include Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club; JC Deacon, the head men's coach at the University of Florida; Dudley Hart, an assistant for the UF men's team; Brad Bryant, a longtime PGA pro golfer; and Marco Dawson, also a longtime PGA pro and former Florida Southern star.

Brant Martin, a lifelong friend of Bean, is part of a 30-person committee that put the tournament together.

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While it’s likely the Andy Bean Memorial Tournament will be a one-time event, the impact the event will have on The First Tee of Lakeland is exactly the thing Bean’s legacy is about.

“Everybody knew Andy,” Martin said. “He did a lot for Lakeland. He was instrumental in helping junior golf before The First Tee was even thought about. Wherever Andy was, he always took care of the kids. He did things people would never know about. He’s going to be missed, no doubt about that. Andy put Lakeland on the map, I think it’s a big loss. He died way too young. I don’t think anyone’s going to replace him. I don’t see that happening anytime soon, but people have sure stepped up.”

Ricky Lee, who is also on the tournament committee, grew up a couple of streets from where Bean’s father lived and got to know the family during that time.

Andy Bean points down range with Tamarrick Wright, 12, of Lakeland during the Barkley, Bean, Bryant & Friends event at the YMCA's First Tee in Lakeland in 2009.
Andy Bean points down range with Tamarrick Wright, 12, of Lakeland during the Barkley, Bean, Bryant & Friends event at the YMCA's First Tee in Lakeland in 2009.

Lee said Bean’s influence will be long lasting in not just Lakeland, but in every community Bean touched.

“The one good thing Andy did have, when he was with The First Tee, the younger generation got a chance to know him. They witnessed his greatness off the golf course," Lee said. "He’s truly going to be missed. He wasn’t a person who just wrote a check. He showed up to the events. He helped the University of Florida golf team ... he was involved in so many things that even I don’t know about.”

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Friends keep Andy Bean's legacy alive with tourney for The First Tee