Throwback Thursday: Payne Stewart’s death stuns golf
The Background
The 1999 PGA Tour season was coming to a close as players headed to the Tour Championship in Houston, Texas.
One of those players was Payne Stewart, seventh on the money list thanks to a stellar year that included triumph at the US Open.
The Scene
Stewart had planned to fly to Dallas prior to the Tour Championship to discuss building a new home course for a golf project in the city.
Stewart never made it to Texas.
During his flight the cabin of his plane depressurised causing all six on board to be knocked unconscious. A series of fighter jets attempted to escort the jet to safety but the plane eventually ran out of fuel and crashed into the ground in South Dakota.
All six passengers on board were killed.
The Legacy
Stewart’s death came as a shock to the golfing world and was just four months after his US Open victory and only a month on from him helping the US to a famous Ryder Cup victory at Brookline.
On the week of the tournament Stuart Appleby organised a tribute where the players whore short trousers and long socks, a signature symbol of Stewart that made him an instantly recognisable character.
The PGA Tour announced the creation of the Payne Stewart Award in 2000. This is handed out to the player who shows respect and upholds the traditions of the game and its heritage of charitable support, something that Stewart was known for.
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Matthew Beedle
Matthew has been playing golf since he was around 13 and took up the game at a local nine-hole municipal course with his friends before joining Pontefract & District Golf Club just over the hedge.
Still a member of Pontefract with a handicap of 3, he currently sits on the board of directors to help with digital and marketing initiatives in order to improve membership and visitor income.
Matthew graduated university with a First Class in Sports Journalism from Leeds Trinity University and has been working in the golf industry since graduating.
NCG’s social media & marketing manager, Matthew’s main job role is to increase website traffic to the National Club Golfer website via our email and social media channels as well as driving entries to grow our NCG Top 100s Tour events amongst other tasks.
Not one to change his equipment too often, Matthew currently plays the TaylorMade M2 driver which has lasted the test of time in his bag. Elsewhere, you’ll find him using the TaylorMade Stealth 2 three-wood with a Ping G425 Crossover 2-iron to aid his long game.
Through his 4-iron to Gap Wedge, Matthew uses the Ping i500 irons accompanied by Ping’s Glide 3.0 56-degree and 60-degree wedges.
Another club that has stood the test of time in his bag is a Nike Method Core MC-3i putter which has had to have the SuperStroke grip changed at least three times. Ball of choice is the Titleist ProV1.
