Payne Stewart: The Authorized Biography

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

Product Description
"He was a man of great faith, a devoted husband and compassionate father, a man of tremendous generosity. Payne Stewart represented the best of golf." -Tim Finchem, PGA Tour commissioner

When his life came to a sudden and tragic end on October 25, 1999, Payne Stewart was at the top of his game on every level. In June of 1999, he enjoyed the signature triumph of his career and solidified himself as one of the exemplary personalities in his profession with a victory at the U.S. Open and a place on the coveted winning U.S. Ryder's Cup team. However satisfying his professional accomplishments were, it was his personal triumphs that made him stand out. The last several years of his life were marked by a distinct personality change that Stewart attributed to his renewed faith in God.

Those closest to Stewart said his family and faith were what mattered most to him. At his funeral, his wife Tracey described him as a devoted husband and father and a devout Christian. She said, "After 18 years of marriage, he was still the most beautiful man I had ever seen, because of what he was on the inside."

Payne was a devout Christian who was coming into his own. The scope of what his personal witnessing ministry could have become will now be tested in his death rather than his life. I know that it has served to strengthen my testimony and for that I will forever be indebted to Payne Stewart.

Thanks Tracey and kids for sharing Payne with us!


A Great Man and Great Golfer   January 17, 2002
This book is a must have book about the life and times of one of Golfs most flamboyunt golfer (the knickers) and the way Payne spoke his mind. I bought this book because Payne was one of my favorite golfers. This book was very intresting talked about the ups and downs of life on the PGA tour. I am glad that Payne relized that there is more to life than just golf. Family and relationship with God. This is a must have book.