Golf
Dermot Gilleece remember a celebrated golfer and a true sportsman
When the colour went out of golf.. When major tournament golf returned recently to Boston with the staging of the 122nd US Open, memories were sparked of 1999 and the bitterness which attached to America’s victory in the Ryder Cup. This time, events at Brookline were more conciliatory, with a locker-room display for the shirt Payne Stewart wore 23 years ago, a month before he was killed in a freak air-accident. The shirt was presented by Stewart’s widow, Tracey, in the hope that golfers in these troubled times would be reminded of her husband’s sportsmanship. It will be recalled that, touched by the rough treatment his singles opponent, Colin Montgomerie, was made to endure from the partisan Boston galleries, Stewart conceded the 18th hole and victory to the beleaguered Scot. On his last visit to Britain and Ireland for the Dunhill Cup shortly afterwards, Stewart continued to make peace. Which was his way. He had no wish to make enemies, wherever he went.
The circumstances of his death, brought to mind another great American golfer who was similarly cut off in his prime. Two years after capturing the Open Tony Lema and Championship at St Andrews, Tony his wife Lema and his wife were killed when their private aircraft crashed en route from the 1966 PGA Championship, to a pro-am event elsewhere in the US. Born in Springfield, Missouri on January 30th 1957, Stewart first made his name as a tournament golfer in decidedly modest circumstances _ as co-champion of the Southwest Conference in 1979. Ten years later, however, he had captured the first of three major championships, when he finished a stroke clear of Andy Bean, Curtis Strange and Mike Reid in the PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes. The second major triumph came in 1991, when he beat Scott Simpson in a play-off for the US Open at Hazeltine. And 50 Senior Times | July - August 2022 | www.seniortimes.ie
Payne Stewart’s statue, which aped his iconic pose, is located in front of the Pinehurst No. 2 clubhouse 50 yards from the 18th green where Stewart sank the dramatic putt to win by one shot over Phil Mickelson.
despite having to cope with an unexpected extension of the tournament schedule into a Monday play-off, there was never a question but that he would fulfil his commitment to play in the Irish Open at Killarney later that week. His first visit to Ireland proved to be an unqualified success for all concerned. After rounds of 69 and 71, he was tied for the lead at the half-way stage with future Ryder Cup rival Montgomerie. But jet-lag began to take its toll over the weekend and Stewart slipped to rounds of 77 and 76 and an eventual share of 16th place behind the winner, Nick Faldo. Far more memorable, however, was his demeanour throughout the tournament. Locals were drawn to this warm-hearted American who dressed in decidedly odd, even garish clothes, characterised by plus-twos, or knickers as they call them in his part of the world. And Stewart became the envy of local politicians when responding with kisses, hugs and handshakes to all-comers, as appropriate.
