Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #603799 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 318 pages

Amazon.com Review
The problem with most authorized biographies is just that--they're authorized. They praise, adore, defend, excuse, inspire, whitewash, and love their subjects, which, in the end, conspires to keep the reader at a distance. Tracey Stewart's homage to her late husband Payne Stewart does all of that. It rarely allows a closer view than that available from where she witnessed most of his stirring final round victory in the 1999 U.S. Open: on TV.

Which is too bad, because the sartorially splendid golfer was more interesting and complex than that. Despite his deep family and religious convictions--when he played, he wore a bracelet with initials that stood for "What Would Jesus Do?"--he was certainly no saint; his early reputation as a hell-raiser was matched by a palpable whiff of arrogance later on. His accomplishments--three majors among them--were great, but his flaws were at least as fascinating as his successes. So, of course, was his tragic end, in an almost unimaginably bizarre plane crash not long after his great comeback triumphs in the Open and as a member of the victorious Ryder Cup team.

All the necessary facts are here. So are the various scriptures and devotionals Stewart relied on, the joys he felt in coaching his son's soccer team, his wrenching loss at the '98 Open, and the tears of relief he shed when he won at Pebble Beach--and, of course, Pinehurst--a year later. And so, too, is the occasional startling detail that defines a life--such as his son's request to bury his father in Payne's favorite Jimmy Buffett T-shirt, and Tracey's having to explain that no body was recovered from the plane crash. But too few other moments bring anything approaching that candid closeness. The rest comes off like a life passed through a protective filter, leaving the reader where golfers would rather not be--on the fringe. --Tally Swinfen

About the Author
Tracey Stewart was born in Rockhampton, Australia, and attended school in Queensland. She met Payne Stewart in March of 1980 in Malaysia. They were engaged one year later in Singapore and married November 10, 1981. Currently, she resides in Orlando, Florida with their two children, Chelsea (14) and Aaron (10).

Ken Abraham is the author of over forty books. He collaborated with professional golfer Paul Azinger on Zinger! as well as baseball All-Star catcher Gary Carter on The Gamer. In 1999 he released a devotional for golfers entitled Fairways. His collaborations have been featured on "20/20", "Larry King Live", "Good Morning America", The Morning Show", "The Today Show", as well as The Nashville Network and the Family Channel. Abraham currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"THE GREATEST OPEN EVER"

This could be it, I thought, as I leaned forward in my chair, my eyes glued to the television screen, anxiously watching and waiting, hanging on every word describing Payne's situation. This could be the turning point, the critical shot of the 1999 U.S. Open. Payne's caddy handed him his putter as he approached the 16th green at Pinehurst Number 2. The U.S. Open is held each year at one of the most challenging golf courses in America. The mid-June tournament spans a four-day period, beginning on Thursday and ending on Sunday, Father's Day weekend. Open to both professional players and any amateurs who can survive the sieve of sectional qualifying rounds conducted in various locations across the nation, the U.S. Open is truly America's tournament. Nearly 7,000 golfers vie for a spot in the prestigious field each year, hoping to capture the prized silver trophy. Of that number, fewer than one hundred sixty men actually get to tee it up in the Open. One of the most difficult golf tournaments in the world, separating the good golfer from the truly great, players privately and publicly mumble that the Open is designed to humiliate them, but former United States Golf Association president, Sandy Tatum, said just the opposite, that the Open is "designed to identify the best golfers in the world." Indeed, Ben Crenshaw, 1999 Ryder Cup captain, described the U.S. Open as the "hardest test in golf." For the 1999 U.S. Open, the famed Pinehurst No. 2 golf course, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, was set up by USGA officials to play as a par 70, over 7,175 yards. The USGA decided that two of Pinehurst's par 5 holes, number 8 and the hazard-strewn number 16, would be played as long par 4s, purposely making an already testy course even tougher. The chilly, damp weather added yet another dimension of difficulty to Pinehurst's treacherous greens. Having led the 1999 U.S. Open after the second and third rounds, Payne's position at the top of the leaderboard was being ferociously challenged. He was struggling to stay ahead of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, and David Duval on the final day of the tournament. Payne had started the day with a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson, and had played well, riding a two shot-lead going into the ninth hole. But then the wheels started to come off. Between holes 9 and 12, Payne stumbled and missed four greens in a row, and made two straight bogeys at 10 and 11, allowing Phil Mickelson to snatch the lead from him. Fighting back, at 13, Payne sank his putt for birdie, and pulled even with Phil again. Meanwhile Tiger Woods, playing in the group ahead of Phil and Payne, sank a difficult putt at 14 to draw within two strokes. The leaderboard was getting crowded at the top. On 16, Tiger drained another sensational putt, drawing ever nearer at even par, only one stroke behind. Making matters worse, Payne narrowly missed his putt on 15 for par. Payne shut his eyes as though praying, while he tried to shake off the putt that had come so close. Duval and Singh had dropped off, but Tiger lurked just below the top names on the leaderboard, and Payne now trailed Phil Mickelson by one stroke as they approached the 16th green. Phil had played flawlessly all day long, sinking difficult putts, hitting incredible shots, and making virtually no mental mistakes. He had not bogied a single hole throughout the round. This Father's Day was exceptionally special to Phil, since back home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his wife, Amy, was due to deliver their first child. Phil knew that at any moment, he might receive a phone call, informing him that Amy was on her way to the hospital. Phil had announced in advance that given a choice between contending in the Open and being at home for the birth of their baby, he'd walk away from Pinehurst to be with Amy. It was a decision that Payne understood and heartily endorsed. But the distractions of imminent fatherhood did nothing to diminish Phil Mickelson's competitive edge. If anything, it inspired him all the more! Thinking about what it might mean to win the U.S. Open on Father's Day, Mickelson mused, "It could be a cool story for my daughter to read about when she got older."

The weather had been unseasonably cool and wet for June in North Carolina, and although the rain held off, by late Sunday afternoon, a fine mist seemed to permeate the air. With or without the added elements of inclement weather, the par-4, 16th was treacherous, a hole that only three players had managed to hit in regulation-two strokes less than par--during the final round at Pinehurst. It looked as though sixteen might be Payne's Waterloo, as well. He missed the green on his approach shot, and then making matters even worse, he hit a poor chip, leaving himself a monstrous 25-foot putt for par. Payne chewed his gum pensively as he lined up the putt. Concentration creased his brow, yet he seemed amazingly calm and composed. He leaned over, went through his normal pre-putt routine, took a smooth, even pendulum stroke and rolled in the putt as though it were a three-footer! As the crowd roared its approval, Payne nonchalantly raised his right arm and pointed his index finger skyward in a brief acknowledgement, as though he was saying, "Thank you very much, but I still have a lot of work to do. . . ."

Customer Reviews

Excellent
Payne Stewart was a class act. When he was taken from us, the world lost much more than just another professional golfer.

This book gives a hauntingly picturesque view of Payne's life. It is meticulously accurate, and is a very great book to have on your shelf. You will not regret a read-through of this.

Good-bye Payne, me miss you . . .

outstanding
the best biography of the year. what a wonderful tribute to the life of payne stewart. this book truly captured the real payne stewart, unlike the other books that have been published by so called friends..if you never had the privilege of knowing payne stewart you will feel as if you did after reading this book. i know this had to be difficult for tracey to write, but what a gift this is to her children and to all of payne's friends, and fans. we all miss him very much. thanks tracey for sharing with all the story of the real payne stewart. a loving husband, a wonderful father, a great friend, and brother in christ. he will never be forgotten

An Important Side of the Story
I'm amazed that readers (at least those who wrote negative reviews on this web site) would be surprised that Tracey's story about Payne is upbeat and positive. If readers want Larry Guest's National Enquiresque forced muckraking (the same treatment he gave Arnold Palmer, a breach of trust that banished him from insider camps) then they should look elsewhere. This is a wife's tribute to a husband, father, and friend she loved. It's a great book that admirers of Payne will enjoy for its intimacy and candidness.

Thanks to Tracey for mustering the courage to put it down on paper. We all miss Payne very much.