NEWS

Two-time U.S. Open Champion
Payne Stewart Dies

	Payne Stewart

Payne Stewart, 42, the reigning United States Open Champion, died today in a plane crash near Mina, South Dakota. Stewart was one of five people aboard a private jet that flew out of control over the middle of the United States before crashing.

"Our deepest condolences to all the families involved," U.S. Golf Association President Buzz Taylor said. "Payne Stewart was a fine champion and a good example of what golfers should be all about."

Stewart's mother, Bea Stewart, of Springfield, Mo., said that her son was a part-owner of the plane. The 23-year-old Lear 35 jet had taken off from Orlando International Airport this morning and was headed for Dallas.

Stewart, of Orlando, Fla., won the 1999 U.S. Open on June 20th at the famed Pinehurst (North Carolina) #2 course when he sank the longest winning putt in U.S. Open history. Stewart holed a 20-foot putt for a par on the 72nd green to edge runner-up Phil Mickelson by one stroke.

With his victory, Stewart became one of only 18 men to win the U.S. Open more than once and the 6th-oldest U.S. Open champion in history.

At the trophy presentation, Stewart said, "I'd just like to give thanks to the Lord. Without the faith I have in him, I would never have been able to have the faith in myself I needed today on the golf course...I could never give up today. No matter what happened, I could just never give up."

It was Stewart's second U.S. Open victory. He also won in 1991 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

Stewart, known by golfers worldwide for wearing his trademark knickers, had one of the best U.S. Open records in the last decade. After winning in 1991, he was runner-up to Lee Janzen in 1993 at Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J., losing by two strokes.

In 1998, he was again runner-up to Janzen at The Olympic Club, San Francisco, Calif., by one stroke, before re-capturing the national title this year.

Painfully denied his second Open title last year by faltering in the final round at Olympic, Stewart became only the third player in history to follow a second-place finish with a victory the next year, matching Bob Jones in 1926 and 1929 and Jack Nicklaus in 1972.

Stewart won 11 other PGA Tour titles, including the 1989 PGA Championship. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1979 with a degree in business.