|
|
|
||
 |
|||
|
|
|
ESPN NETWORK:
ESPN.COM | NFL.COM | NBA.COM | NASCAR | NHL.COM | ABCSPORTS | FANTASY | STORE | INSIDER
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fans remember a man of class ESPN Golf Online October 27 1:19pm ET | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Payne Stewart's death on Monday made a major impression on golf fans. Hundreds mailed in their memories of Stewart to ESPN Golf Online, from his grace in victory or defeat to his love of the game and sportsmanship, fans had a range of memories about the golfer and the man. Here are a selection of the comments:
Payne Stewart had the prettiest swing on tour. Other people could hit it farther, and others could hit it straighter. But if you ever needed to show someone how you are supposed to swing a golf club, all you had to do was show them a video of Payne Stewart. No one else had the grace and ease about him when they swung club. I remember trying to learn the game of golf as a kid in the '80s, and Payne was one of the people I focused on to help me improve my game.
Payne Stewart was a figure that perfectly represented the game of golf. He was competitive and outgoing, yet he showed much class and dignity on the course. I saw Stewart as a man that would do anything for his country, for his family and for the game of golf. The most memorable moment of Payne's career was his historic putt at Pinehurst. This moment was characterized by both superior golf play and superior class in which he told Phil Mickelson that fatherhood was the best thing in the world. His loyalty, integrity, and excellent play will leave a lasting impression.
Payne Stewart was one of the most human members of the PGA Tour. Many professional golfers are very businesslike and do not reveal much of themselves to the public. Payne was a person and not just a golfer. The genuine raw emotion that he showed at Pinehurst in June was in stark contrast to Tiger Woods' reaction to his victory at the PGA in August. However, my strongest memory of Payne Stewart will be of the class that he showed Colin Montgomerie at the Ryder Cup last month. Payne Stewart was a great golfer, but more importantly, was a great person.
I was at the PGA Tour stop in New Orleans a few years ago and was following Payne. He was having just an awful round; he couldn't get anything to go his way. Then on the 12th hole, Payne hit an iron shot a few feet from the hole and let out a loud roar and said "About time!" Then he came over next to where I was standing and started to joke with the gallery. That is just the way I will remember Payne. He always seemed to have fun no matter how he was playing, and I am going to start following his example.
I remember when his father died about the same period my father passed away, he won his first tournament and donated the proceeds in his father's memory to charity. I believe it was the hospital which cared for his dad. Ever since then I thought he was such a classy person. It is a very sad day for golf and the world.
I will remember Payne Stewart for being an excellent all-around person. In addition to his talents on the course, Payne will always be remembered for his work with charities and his friendly smile. We have lost a true legend, and we all are better people for having had the opportunity to watch him these past years.
In 1988, I was in eighth grade, living in South Florida and working as a standard barer in the Honda Classic. I carried for his threesome on the first day. He would chat with me occasionally between holes and would say hello anytime he saw me walking the grounds the rest of the weekend. He was the only golfer that actually took the time to find out my name that entire weekend. He was and always will be my favorite golfer for being a person first.
When thinking about Stewart, you have to remember the way he always was a graceful winner. In winning he was a true professional, always noting how his opponents played so well. He will be missed for who he was more then what he did.
Just two weeks ago, I followed Payne at the Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews. Even though the crowd was far less than friendly, still upset over the perceived treatment of the Europeans by the Americans at Brookline, Payne carried himself with professionalism and dignity. He was a golfer who always upheld the traditions of the game, and we will all be poorer for this tragic loss.
In my childish mind, when I sat on the couch with my parents watching The Masters and the U.S. Open, Payne Stewart was the most interesting player out there. A few years later, Stewart was still my favorite, but now it was not just because he had the coolest clothes. I realized that there was something about him and the way he conducted himself on the golf course and to his opponents that showed a passion for a sport that I had previously thought was just something old men played in their spare time. Payne Stewart opened my eyes to the wide range of emotions that sports can cause you to experience, from horrible agony, to the highest joy.
I only had a few things in common with my father before he passed away a year ago of cancer, one of which was his love for golf and the other an admiration for one amazing golfer named Payne Stewart. A stylish player with an unmatched swing, he brought a flair to the golf world and a chance for a father and his son to bond.
I played a lot of Junior PGA events as a kid and remember always trying to groove my swing to match his. When I played college golf I would record tournaments on TV and try to emulate the fluidness of his smooth swing. It seemed almost effortless. His style of play and his persona helped me form my own style. He was my hero. The man had charisma. The man also had his own identity in a sport that too often lacks diversity in that respect.
The best memory I have of Payne Stewart is the way he always brought his "A" game to the U.S. Open. His determination to succeed is something that anybody can learn from and apply to many things, not only golf. The game needs color and Payne brought it every time he teed it up. He bled red, white and blue in the Ryder Cup, and those are the best colors to bleed. The game of golf and and life in general need more of him.
The thing that I'll never forget was seeing his putt at 18 at Pinehurst. He was clearly a man who played the game of golf with his heart, and the true emotion that he showed upon making that putt sums up what everyone who plays the game hopes to achieve. Additionally, the fact that after he made the putt, and on the unbelievable high that he must have been on after sinking it, he tells/congratulates Phil upon the fact that "you're going to be a father."
Payne Stewart was one of the last golfers with the desire to play golf and not just win money. He had an energy that others fed off of, especially at the Ryder Cup.
I will always remember Payne Stewart for the way he stood up for Casey Martin's cause. During the court battle concerning the use of carts in PGA play, Stewart voiced his opinion that Martin should be allowed to ride. When so many PGA pros, even the Golden Bear, were against Martin, Stewart stood up for what was right and fair. It is tragic that such a great American golfer has been taken from us so early. It will be nice to see Martin on the PGA Tour next year, and I am sure Payne would have loved to see it.
|
Stewart's legacy: More than just clothes made the man Neighbors, friends quick to respond
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||