Payne Stewart - A Giant Amongst Men
I, like many of you reading this article, have a love for golf. The reasons often vary however. It can be the peace and serenity that can be found on a beautiful summers morning or the challenge of an original links on a rough windy day. Whether it be the technical aspect of hitting a crisp 3-iron or the imagination involved in the short game, we all have our reasons.
For me, I was introduced to the game through my father, whom I would follow around the course and caddy for regularly. He was my tangible idol on the golf course, but we all need a hero and I first watched mine as a young lad in 1991. Late on a Sunday night and then again in a playoff on Monday, I watched as Payne Stewart claimed his second major by winning the US Open. His unusual dress sense and incredible charisma immediately struck a chord with me and still does today. His win in the 1999 US Open was the stuff of dreams and I cheered loudly when the putt on the 72nd hole dropped. The image of Stewart fist pumping the air is etched in my memory to this day. Roll on the Ryder Cup and who can forget his gesture of conceding Montgomerie’s putt in the singles. By this stage, the US had won the Ryder Cup but it was typical of Stewart. He did not care of his own personal success, only the success of the team. He was a passionate American!
Payne Stewart was a giant amongst men in my eyes. His determination and competitiveness is something I always strive for. However, he was much more than this. He was by all accounts a loving husband and father who put family above all else in his life. His generosity could not go unnoticed either, as he was a regular figurehead in charity work and this is why his death in 1999 was mourned throughout the golfing world.
I recall the day he died, the 25th October 1999. I remember watching the footage of Stewart’s plane floating aimlessly on autopilot through the sky, not knowing if the members on board were alive or not. Sadly, the cabin had suffered depressurisation and the members on board had lost oxygen. It was the saddest moment I have witnessed in golf and probably in all of sport. To loose an icon is hard and I must admit, when I watch videos of Stewart’s career, I cannot help but feel aggrieved by his tragic loss.
This video is dedicated to Payne Stewart. The Payne Stewart award is something every golfer should strive to achieve. It is a tribute to being much more than just a golfer and must surely be one of the highest accolades in the game. The game today has the electrifying presence of Woods, McIlroy, Kim, Garcia etc, but it sorely misses and will never replace a real hero like Payne Stewart!
