American · Springfield, USA · Born 30 January 1957 · Died 1999-10-25American golfer known for his plus-fours attire, who died in a Learjet depressurization crash near Mina, South Dakota on October 25, 1999, weeks after his final major win.
William Payne Stewart was born on 30 January 1957 in Springfield, Missouri, and turned professional in 1979 after attending Southern Methodist University, developing into one of the most recognisable golfers of his generation, renowned for wearing colourful plus-four trousers and tam o'shanter caps that evoked the sport's earlier eras. Stewart won three major championships across his career, capturing the 1989 PGA Championship and the 1991 U.S. Open in a playoff over Scott Simpson, before delivering the finest achievement of his career at the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, sinking a 15-foot par putt on the final hole to win by a single stroke over Phil Mickelson. On 25 October 1999, just months after that triumph, Stewart was among six people aboard a Learjet that suffered a catastrophic loss of cabin pressure shortly after takeoff from Orlando, incapacitating everyone on board; the plane continued flying on autopilot for hours, tracked by Air Force jets, before running out of fuel and crashing into a field in South Dakota, killing all aboard. He was 42. Stewart was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001, and the PGA Tour has since annually presented the Payne Stewart Award to a player who exemplifies his respect for the sport's traditions, charitable spirit, and professional presentation.
Dramatic par putt to win the 1999 U.S. Open weeks before his death
How They Played
Aggressive player known for clutch putting and colorful attire
Lasting Impact
Remembered for sportsmanship, style, and dramatic major victories
Career Honours
- PGA Championship 1989
- U.S. Open 1991, 1999
American Athletes