But Woods then had to watch on a television in the scoring trailer as Beem holed his final putt to secure a first Major.
"He played great," said Woods. "It's awfully impressive to go out and shoot a round like that when he absolutely has to do it.
"He just trusted and believed in himself and he got the job done.
"Sometimes it might be a benefit to be a little naive in a situation because you have never been there before."
Woods had told caddie Steve Williams that four birdies on the final four holes would be enough to win the tournament.
"I went ahead and birdied out, and we didn't win," he said.
"At least I gave it my best effort. We just came out a little bit short."
 Rich Beem was "ecstatic" after his win
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Woods admitted that it was frustrating to miss out on a ninth Major by just one stroke, and pointed to bogeys on the 13th and 14th as the decisive moments. "Any time you finish second in a tournament it's frustrating and disappointing," he said.
"But it's kind of a double-edged sword right now because I'm frustrated I made the mistakes on 13 and 14, but also pumped up at the way I finished.
