1979-86. Close to his first major, at the 1985 Open.
On the 25th October 1999 the golfing world mourned the loss of one of
it's favourite sons when Payne Stewart's private jet crashed,killing all
onboard. Stewart was much loved for his bubbly personality and
flamboyant dress sense but above all he will be remembered as a true
gentleman on and off the course. Payne had joined the professional game
in 1979 and it was on the Asian Circuit that he first began to dispay
his talents. He tasted success at the 1981 Indian and Indonesian Opens
on his way to a third place finish in the Order of Merit. The following
year he captured his first US Tour event with victory at the Quad Cities
Open,mainly thanks to a superb closing round 63. In 1983 he won the
Walt Disney World Golf Classic,playing some fine golf to return rounds
of 69,64,69 and 67 for a nineteen under par total.
It was to be four
long years before the man from Springfield would add to those two Tour
victories but in that time he proved himself to be a prolific money
winner. In 1986,for example,he finished third on the US Tour Money List
with a total of $535,389. For any ambitious golfer however,which Payne
certainly was,it is all about winning tournaments and in 1985 he came
within a whisker of landing one of the games biggest. In a high scoring
Open Championship at Sandwich the American finished just one stroke
behind the champion Sandy Lyle,who returned a two over par total.
Stewart's undoing proved to be his second round 75 and despite a closing
effort of 68 (the photo above shows Payne on the 17th tee during the final round),compared to Lyle's 70,it was the Scot who clung on for his first major. (David Scranage)
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The photo above of U.S. golfer Payne Stewart was taken on 14th. July 1987 at the British Open.
Picture by George Herringshaw. ©
Years 1987-90. His first major - at 1989 PGA.
Payne Stewart returned to the
winners rostrum with his victory at the 1987 Hertz Bay Hill Classic - a
success that played no small part in him making his Ryder Cup bow that
same year. It was not the debut he would have hoped for,however,as the
Americans went down to their first defeat on home soil for many a year.
Payne had the misfortune to come up against the formidable
Ballesteros/Olazabal pairing in each of his first two matches and on
both occasions went down to the narrowest of defeats. He came back
strongly though to register a four-balls win in partnership with Andy
Bean,whilst in the singles he gained some revenge over Olazabal with a
two up victory.
The year of 1989 proved to be a magnificent one for
Payne - he won $1,201,301 on his way to a second place finish in the
Money List but,more importantly,he captured his first major title when
winning the PGA Championship. He had started the tournament poorly with
an opening round 74 but rounds of 66 and 69 brought him back into
contention,albeit six strokes back on leader Mike Reid. Last day nerves
struck Reid,however,and Payne's closing 67,for a twelve under par
total,was sufficient to give him a one stroke victory from Andy
Bean,Curtis Strange and the faltering Reid. At the 1990 Open
Championship Stewart produced some highly consistent golf to return
three consecutive rounds of 68 followed by a closing day 71. Any other
year he could have expected to lift the trophy but Payne was unfortunate
enough to encounter Nick Faldo at the very peak of his powers. The
Englishman played some sublime golf to finish at eighteen under par with
Stewart five shots back at thirteen under. (David Scranage)
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Stuart Franklin took this photograph of Payne Stewart on 23rd. September 1993. © G.H.
1991-93. Second major - at 1991 US Open.
Payne Stewart captured his second major with a play-off victory over
Scott Simpson in the 1991 US Open,played at the Hazeltine National
course. The two Americans had finished the four rounds all-square at
three under par which meant,under US Open rules,returning for a further
eighteen holes the next day. Neither man could reproduce the form of the
previous four days,but it was Payne who took the honours with a round
of 75 compared to Simpson's 77. Stewart was back on Ryder Cup duty for
the rather ill-tempered 1991 match at Kiawah Island as the Americans
triumphed for the first time since 1983. Payne's contribution was the
useful return of two and a half points from his four matches,with each
of his two wins coming in partnership with Mark Calcavecchia. Amid the
most amazing tension the Americans took the trophy courtesy of a 14
1/2-13 1/2 scoreline in a match that went down to the last green of the
last match.
In 1993 Stewart,who was always recognizable due to his
trademark plus fours,came close to landing a second US Open crown. He
finished at six under par but had to settle for second place just two
strokes behind Lee Janzen who had played consistently well all week to
shoot two 67s and two 69s. The '93 Ryder Cup saw Payne produce his best
return in the event,with three points from a possible four,to help his
team retain the trophy. Stewart's performance epitomised the fighting
spirit he had shown thoughout his career as in the first day morning
foursomes he and Paul Azinger had been handed a 7&5 thrashing by Ian
Woosnam and Bernhard Langer. (David Scranage)
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