Hard to believe that 19 years have passed this quickly... today is the anniversary of Payne Stewart's tragic death, 19 years ago today.
I remember it like yesterday, 19 years ago today. I was waiting for a friend to finish up some work in his office downstairs (he worked at home) before we would head to the local muni to play. He told me to go upstairs and grab whatever out of the fridge and make myself at home, that he'd be up shortly. I go upstairs, turn on his tv, and see the reports on CNN about a famous golfer's jet being in distress and non-responsive. Over the next few hours, he and I were glued to the coverage. Both he and I couldn't believe what we were seeing on the news.
One of the lasting remembrances I have of Payne was in the '99 Ryder Cup in Brookline, literally just weeks removed from his passing. On the final day in the singles matches, he was pitted against Colin Montgomerie. Monty had endured an enormous amount of heckling and obscenities thrown at him during his match that Sunday at Brookline. Payne had interceded on more than one occasion, but to no prevail. It finally got to the point where Payne himself was informing the course marshals to remove the unruly fans.
With a few holes left to play in his match, however, the Cup had been determined. Justin Leonard's miraculous 45-footer on the 17th green had decided the eventual outcome. But the remaining matches left to be played would go on.
Payne Stewart, in what was probably his last gesture of kindness and sportsmanship in his competitive career... after knowing that the outcome of his match no longer mattered, acknowledging that Monty had endured so much vitriol and hatred from a partisan gallery that Sunday - did the unthinkable.
1-down in his match going into the 18th hole, with Monty facing a sizable putt from well outside gimmee range that would've likely led to a halve in his match - Payne picked up Monty's ball and conceded the loss. A few weeks later after Payne's death, Colin would remember the gesture as one of complete class. "I didn't expect that, to be honest. But Payne understood the gravity of that moment and I will never forget the sportsmanship he extended to me that day."
Below is ESPN's Tom Rinaldi's (2016) piece capturing the essence of Payne's greatness, and his tragic death.
RIP, Payne.