Remebering Payne Stewart

The year 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of Payne Stewart's magical win at Pinehurst No. 2, but unfortunately also marks the anniversary of his tragic death in October of that year. Payne was one of the greatest personalities on the tour, appeared to be loved by all, and is most certainly missed. There has been an influx of stories recalling Payne's legacy and updates on his family, and they are all touching to read. I found an ESPN story to be very moving, and well-written at the same time.

Although he has been gone for a decade, his legacy certainly lives on, and just this month his alma mater, Southern Methodist University, broke ground on the Payne Stewart Golf Learning Center. Payne's son Aaron will begin his sophomore season at SMU this fall, and his daughter Chelsea is a charity coordinator for the Tour Championship in Atlanta. It is a tribute to Payne that his children both have chosen to have golf remain in their lives, when it would be easy to want to block out golf because of the many memories it must bring back.

A quick Google search for Payne's name reveals an excellent video produced by the PGA Tour about the Payne Stewart Award, given to the tour player who best exemplifies the morals and qualities that Payne exerted throughout this life. In the video, the following quote is presented, and I think is an excellent way to remember Payne.

But in the end it's still a game of golf, and at the end of the day if you can't shake the hand of your opponents and still be friends, then you've missed the point.