Tribute to a Champion: Payne Stewart

Payne Stewart. Knickers and a Tam O'Shanter cap. Classy guy. Picture perfect swing.

Tour comedian. Sometimes surly to the media (Actually, that can hardly be considered a negative.) and occasionally even to fans. Devoted husband and father. Memories of Payne are probably as varied as his legend of fans and fellow competitors on the PGA tour. Following his death in a plane crash in October many recounted stories with elements of all of the above. He really was one of a kind.

He was always easy to spot striding down the fairway with the colorful old styled golf pants and cap. It was a delightful break from the standard dark knit shirts and pressed slacks of other competitors. I'm sure there are those who wondered how much his attire had to do with a sense of the history and traditions of golf and how much it had to do with what Tom Kite said was a "wicked sense of humor." Kite said "He was great to be around. When you start to think about what you're going to miss, his sense of humor is what I'm going to miss."

For me two images will always stand out in my mind. The first is from the Byron Nelson tournament (I believe the year was 1985). Payne was playing in the city where he had graduated from college. The year before he had lost a heartbreaking playoff at the Colonial tournament in neighboring Fort Worth. Now he was in great position to win. Over the last few holes the wheels came off and Payne wound up in a playoff which he lost. The unthinkable had happened. I will never forget the picure of him walking away after the final hole side by side with his wife Tracey. Somehow they seemed to have found aloneness in the midst of the crowded course as they shared the incredible heartache.

The second image is the one from the U.S. Open of 1999 which ended on Father's day. The last nine holes were absolutely pressure packed as Payne and Phil Mickelson dueled for the championship of one of golf's most prestigious tournaments. Stewart faced critical putts on each of the last three holes and drained each of them, the last being a fifteen footer on the 18th green. His first reaction was sheer exhilaration but he quickly moved over to Mickelson to offer both condolences and congratulations on his impending fatherhood. He knew with certainty that the joys and rewards of being a father surpassed any tournament they would ever play.

As he stepped up to the microphones I was somewhat surprised to hear him speak of his faith. He not only thanked God for that particular win but attributed the resurgence in his career to the peace he had found in Jesus Christ. I then became aware that the bracelet I had seen on his wrist earlier as he retrieved a putt was a WWJD bracelet (What would Jesus do?). It had been given to him by his daughter who had played a part in his renewed faith. His words to Phil had not been just an idle pronouncement of a proud father. In numerous interviews following his win he attributed his new found peace to his relationship with Christ.

"Sports Illustrated" said Stewart had embraced Christianity "with the fervor of a prison convert." He commented that "There used to be a void in my life," (but) "the peace I'm feeling now is wonderful. I don't understand how I lived so long without it." He was thrilled that newspaper photos of his U.S. Open victory clearly showed every letter of his WWJD bracelet. At a victory celebration he was watching a video of the tournament when he began crying. An assistant pastor at First Baptist church in Orlando walked up and put an arm around him and Stewart said, "I just want everybody to know, it's Jesus. It's Jesus that's done this for me and that's changed my life. And I want everybody to know it." He told members of the media, "I'm proud of the fact that my faith in God is so much stronger, and I'm so much more at peace with myself than I've ever been in my life."

Perhaps most telling and poignant of all were the words from a video montage shown at his funeral. In the video Payne said, "I'm going to a special place when I die. I want to make sure my life is special while I'm here." Not only did he make it a special place while he was here, he continues to do so after his death. Thousands, including many fellow golf pros, were deeply impacted by the faith expressed in his nationally televised funeral service. His home church reported many men calling in to say, "I never had time for God before this. Suddenly I'm realizing there's more to life than just making a living and taking care of my family." Hopefully many who read these words will heed these words.

Payne, we will miss you. You left us too soon. But we will be forever grateful for the legacy you left for your family and all others who will hear it. We look forward to the day when we will see you again around the Father's banquet table.

Payne's death was "the golfing equivalent of Princess Diana's death." (Golf World) (Well, actually I was much more impacted by Payne's death. - B.Stith)

"It's hard to believe we're not going to see that effortless swing anymore. It was something to marvel." (Ben Crenshaw)

"Payne was just coming into his own, and it is truly saddening that he has been lost in his prime. He will be sorely missed by anyone who ever knew him or had the pleasure of watching him play." (Jack Nicklaus) Amen, Jack, amen.

"There are winners and there are champions, and Payne was a champion. When he wore his knickers everybody knew who he was." (Senior golfer Joe Inman)

"I think of Payne Stewart, and there's a guy that's going to be like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, a guy you want around all those years. He's such a big part of the game. (Duffy Waldorf)

"I played with Payne quite a few times and I always enjoyed his company. A true sportsman on the course and a gentleman off it. He never failed to conduct himself in the true manner." (Jose Maria Olazabal, 1999 Masters champion)

"Payne was a great champion, a gentleman and a devoted husband and father. He will always be remembered as a very special competitor, and one who contributed enormously to the positive image of professional golf." (Tim Finchen, PGA tour commissioner)

"Payne had a zest for life that could light up a room and put a smile on anyone's face. He was a special man with strong family values." (Lee Jantzen, two time U.S. Open winner)

"I can't even comprehend the scope of it. None of us can right now. There is an enormous void and emptiness I feel right now." (Tiger Woods)

"We've lost someone who has been a great ambassador for our game." (Curtis Strange.)

"With Stewart, a smile always loomed around the next corner. Whether it was an exchange of repartee, a practical joke or an amusing observation, Stewart had a knack for lightening the mood at the right moment.......Behind the grin stood a nobel man at peace." (Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star Telegram sports columnist)

"I think that through Payne's death, Jesus Christ will be advanced more than if he would have lived another 30 or 40 years." (Tracey Stewart, Payne's widow.)