Leftyuk
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- Oct 1, 2018
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It will be twenty years at the US Open since Payne Stewart's final Major win, and twenty years in October since his sad death. I never met him, but I came to admire and like him. In some ways he typified my relationship with all things American.
First impressions of Payne Stewart were of his loudness, dress and voice. He was the typical brash American that Brits find difficult. The first time we come to USA it is loud noisy and brash. The food is crap and covered in cheese with enough for four people on your plate. First impression of Payne was that there was too much on my plate to digest.
But over the years, he grew on me. He used to go to Ireland the week before the Open to practise with friends, and the Irish, who are good judges of horseflesh, loved him. They talked about his generosity of spirit. His match against Monty at Brookline summed him up well. While all sorts of carnage was going on around him, he stood up for Monty (most Brits hate Monty, so that showed his class) and was more interested in his opponent getting the respect he deserved than the massive comeback . The clincher with me was his response to Phil after the past putt of the 1999 US Open, his generosity was class. Winning with class is as difficult as losing with class.
The more I come to USA the more I like it. I find more people I like and respect, like Payne Stewart, I have learnt to see past the first impressions and enjoy the real USA. I'd struggle to live there , due to the absence of decent bacon and inability to make a proper cup of tea, but I try to come over every two years with my clubs. My wife does not play, so I walk into good clubs and look for a game. I have probably played 50 rounds in USA with people I have never met. I have played with assistant pros and ladies who refuse to putt. Only twice have I walked off and not enjoyed the company, both times my playing partners were Europeans.
Payne Stewart was a fantastic ambassador for USA and the game of golf. If anyone has any memories of him, I would love to hear them.
First impressions of Payne Stewart were of his loudness, dress and voice. He was the typical brash American that Brits find difficult. The first time we come to USA it is loud noisy and brash. The food is crap and covered in cheese with enough for four people on your plate. First impression of Payne was that there was too much on my plate to digest.
But over the years, he grew on me. He used to go to Ireland the week before the Open to practise with friends, and the Irish, who are good judges of horseflesh, loved him. They talked about his generosity of spirit. His match against Monty at Brookline summed him up well. While all sorts of carnage was going on around him, he stood up for Monty (most Brits hate Monty, so that showed his class) and was more interested in his opponent getting the respect he deserved than the massive comeback . The clincher with me was his response to Phil after the past putt of the 1999 US Open, his generosity was class. Winning with class is as difficult as losing with class.
The more I come to USA the more I like it. I find more people I like and respect, like Payne Stewart, I have learnt to see past the first impressions and enjoy the real USA. I'd struggle to live there , due to the absence of decent bacon and inability to make a proper cup of tea, but I try to come over every two years with my clubs. My wife does not play, so I walk into good clubs and look for a game. I have probably played 50 rounds in USA with people I have never met. I have played with assistant pros and ladies who refuse to putt. Only twice have I walked off and not enjoyed the company, both times my playing partners were Europeans.
Payne Stewart was a fantastic ambassador for USA and the game of golf. If anyone has any memories of him, I would love to hear them.