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The Last Stand of Payne Stewart: The Year Golf Changed Forever
From award-winning sports writer Kevin Robbins, discover the story of legendary golfer Payne Stewart, focusing on his last year in the PGA Tour in 1999, which tragically culminated in a fatal air disaster that transpired publicly on televisions across the country.
Forever remembered as one of the most dramatic storylines in the history of golf, Payne Stewart's legendary career was bookended by a dramatic comeback and a shocking, tragic end. Here, Robbins brings Stewart's story vividly to life.
Written off as a pompous showman past the prime of his career, Stewart emerged from a long slump in the unforgettable season of 1999 to capture the U.S. Open and play on the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. He appeared to be a new man that wiser, deeper, and on the verge of a new level of greatness. Then his journey to redemption ended in October, when his chartered Learjet flew aimlessly for more than a thousand miles, ran out of fuel, and fell to earth in a prairie in South Dakota.
His death marked the end of an era, one made up of "shotmakers" who played the game with artistry, guile, finesse, and heart. Behind them were Tiger Woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, and other young players whose power and strength changed the PGA Tour forever. With exclusive access to Stewart's friends, family, and onetime colleagues, Kevin Robbins provides a long-overdue portrait of one of golf's greats in one of golf's greatest seasons.
Winner of the USGA Herbert Warren Wind Book Award
Forever remembered as one of the most dramatic storylines in the history of golf, Payne Stewart's legendary career was bookended by a dramatic comeback and a shocking, tragic end. Here, Robbins brings Stewart's story vividly to life.
Written off as a pompous showman past the prime of his career, Stewart emerged from a long slump in the unforgettable season of 1999 to capture the U.S. Open and play on the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. He appeared to be a new man that wiser, deeper, and on the verge of a new level of greatness. Then his journey to redemption ended in October, when his chartered Learjet flew aimlessly for more than a thousand miles, ran out of fuel, and fell to earth in a prairie in South Dakota.
His death marked the end of an era, one made up of "shotmakers" who played the game with artistry, guile, finesse, and heart. Behind them were Tiger Woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, and other young players whose power and strength changed the PGA Tour forever. With exclusive access to Stewart's friends, family, and onetime colleagues, Kevin Robbins provides a long-overdue portrait of one of golf's greats in one of golf's greatest seasons.
Winner of the USGA Herbert Warren Wind Book Award
320 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2019
57 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Robbins
11 books8 followersJournalism faculty, University of Texas at Austin. Former newspaper reporter with The Hawk Eye (Burlington, Iowa), The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee), the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Austin American-Statesman. Graduate of the University of Central Missouri and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Long-way taker. Austin now; Kansas City forever.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 1, 2019
Payne Stewart was one of the most popular and most interesting people on the professional golf tour in the 1990’s. His tragic death in a plane crash in 1999, just weeks after being a member of the famous American Ryder Cup team that made an incredible comeback on the last day of matches to regain that award from the European team. Payne’s golf career and life are chronicled in this excellent book by Kevin Robbins.
While the format of the biography does follow Stewart’s life without much jumping around, what set this biography apart from others was partly Stewart’s very interesting career with its ups and downs and Robbins’ delicate manner in which he handles telling the story. Stewart was not an ordinary professional golfer. The most known aspect of his golf career was the headwear and plus four pants he wore on the course. It is not as well known why he wore these and this book tells the tale of Stewart’s father stating that in order to become famous, one must stand out. Payne took that advice to heart and his father was never far from his thoughts, something Robbins illustrates in a touching manner several times in the book.
As for Payne’s golf career (Robbins always calls him “Payne” in the book, never “Stewart”), its ups and downs are covered thoroughly in the book as well. Early on, even when Payne started achieving some success and eventually winning his first major tournament in 1991, he often came across as brash and even uncaring at times. It did lead to bouts of depression that he was able to overcome with the help of his wife Tracey. She is portrayed as the rock of their family as she was able to help Payne both on and off the course. I especially enjoyed reading about the putting drill she made Payne go through to work on that aspect of his game, as it is mentioned several times, including Payne’s most memorable and satisfying win, the 1999 US Open at Pinehurst #2.
Of course, the plane crash that took Payne’s life was covered in great detail as well. The book starts and ends with that event and no matter what aspect of that tragedy is discussed, it is told in the same manner as the rest of the important events in the life of Payne Stewart. They are told in a way that a reader will not only feel close to Payne and Tracey, but also that he or she is reading about a person who is truly HUMAN with all the highs and lows that all people experience but is also one that who is loved and whose loss is still being felt nearly 20 years after his death.
I wish to thank Hachette Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
While the format of the biography does follow Stewart’s life without much jumping around, what set this biography apart from others was partly Stewart’s very interesting career with its ups and downs and Robbins’ delicate manner in which he handles telling the story. Stewart was not an ordinary professional golfer. The most known aspect of his golf career was the headwear and plus four pants he wore on the course. It is not as well known why he wore these and this book tells the tale of Stewart’s father stating that in order to become famous, one must stand out. Payne took that advice to heart and his father was never far from his thoughts, something Robbins illustrates in a touching manner several times in the book.
As for Payne’s golf career (Robbins always calls him “Payne” in the book, never “Stewart”), its ups and downs are covered thoroughly in the book as well. Early on, even when Payne started achieving some success and eventually winning his first major tournament in 1991, he often came across as brash and even uncaring at times. It did lead to bouts of depression that he was able to overcome with the help of his wife Tracey. She is portrayed as the rock of their family as she was able to help Payne both on and off the course. I especially enjoyed reading about the putting drill she made Payne go through to work on that aspect of his game, as it is mentioned several times, including Payne’s most memorable and satisfying win, the 1999 US Open at Pinehurst #2.
Of course, the plane crash that took Payne’s life was covered in great detail as well. The book starts and ends with that event and no matter what aspect of that tragedy is discussed, it is told in the same manner as the rest of the important events in the life of Payne Stewart. They are told in a way that a reader will not only feel close to Payne and Tracey, but also that he or she is reading about a person who is truly HUMAN with all the highs and lows that all people experience but is also one that who is loved and whose loss is still being felt nearly 20 years after his death.
I wish to thank Hachette Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
June 19, 2019
Kevin Robbins (Harvey Penick, 2016) has written a painful yet necessary account on golfing icon, Payne Stewart, primarily around the 1999 season. Stewart overcomes the letdown of a golfing slump after early and often success, which many athletes do not survive, and reaches the pinnacle of the golfing world again. It seems almost instantly that as soon as his stardom returns, as well as a changed demeanor and reputation, tragedy strikes. Stewart’s sometimes brash and unspoken nature hid the true sentiment and character within, and his story will resonate with golf and sports’ fans around the globe.
Sublime Line: “For avid golf enthusiasts and readers who simply just love sports’ nonfiction, The Last Stand of Payne Stewart will touch your heart.”
Sublime Line: “For avid golf enthusiasts and readers who simply just love sports’ nonfiction, The Last Stand of Payne Stewart will touch your heart.”
July 9, 2019
I deeply enjoyed this book. Stewart was one of my favorite golfers growing up and this added a lot to his story, especially on a personal level. I read a lot of golf books and this is a tremendous one. As a leadership development instructor I saw a lot in this book to recommend it to those participating in my courses. I intend to add this to my recommended lists for the forseeable future. I work with a lot of CEO's, community leaders and generally people with outsized ego's and the lessons from Payne's life will likely touch a nerve.
My only complaint is that I wish some of the end notes (or at least the general message that this work was based on extensive first hand sources) were surfaced earlier. I found myself wondering the validity of some of the claims, particularly on the inner monologues of some of the featured individuals.
All in all tremendous, touching and educational read.
My only complaint is that I wish some of the end notes (or at least the general message that this work was based on extensive first hand sources) were surfaced earlier. I found myself wondering the validity of some of the claims, particularly on the inner monologues of some of the featured individuals.
All in all tremendous, touching and educational read.
December 25, 2019
Kevin Robbins tells Payne Stewart’s story with both proximity and detachment, thereby describing his protagonist’s words and actions as they were – good, bad, and in between. As a golfer and fan of the professional game since the mid-1970s, I have these memories of Stewart: talented, brash, and cocky, but in some state of transformation prior to his untimely death. After having read “Last Stand,” I now know the details of this transformation – for me, what I wanted to learn by reading this book. Robbins’s exceptional writing at the beginning of Chapter 13 provides a distillation of his research into Stewart’s maturation and metamorphosis: “It seemed like every complication in his life had become scaffolding.”
As with Robbins’s previous effort – the Harvey Penick biography, “The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf” – I gained more than insight into a protagonist with this read. Robbins generously relies on fellow journalists who covered Stewart’s career in real time. This sanctioned borrowing helps give “Last Stand,” like other good sports books, a broader historical perspective that invites the reader to revisit and reconstruct their own memories of the era described. Highly recommended.
As with Robbins’s previous effort – the Harvey Penick biography, “The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf” – I gained more than insight into a protagonist with this read. Robbins generously relies on fellow journalists who covered Stewart’s career in real time. This sanctioned borrowing helps give “Last Stand,” like other good sports books, a broader historical perspective that invites the reader to revisit and reconstruct their own memories of the era described. Highly recommended.
October 29, 2019
This book looks at two major storylines that took place twenty years ago. First, the transformation, and ultimately the death of golfer Payne Stewart in a plane accident. Second, the passing of the torch from one type of professional golfer (the shot makers), to another (the power hitters) and the related change in golf equipment. The book is well written and researched and is bookended with the detailed story of Payne’s final fatal flight from the Orlando International Airport.
The author gives an overview of Stewart’s life and professional career, from growing up in Springfield, Missouri to his home with wife and two children in Orlando, Florida, where they lived along the 12th hole on Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill golf course. Payne’s earned his PGA Tour card, won his second tournament and played his final professional tournament at Disney in Orlando. The book primarily takes us through roughly the last year of his life, from the 1998 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, through the flight that would take his life on October 25, 1999. In between, we get a detailed look at the 1999 Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 1999 U.S. Open, both of which Payne won, and the 1999 Ryder Cup, which the U.S. won and at which Payne displayed some excellent sportsmanship.
I was most interested in Payne’s growing Christian faith. The author tells us that growing up, Payne and his family would attend Grace United Methodist Church in Springfield, but Payne would not mature in his faith until the final years of his life. In 1996, Payne and wife Tracey decided to put their children in a private school affiliated with the First Baptist Church in Orlando. Payne hadn’t been serious about his faith in years, but we are told that as he got older and saw the enthusiasm in his children about the Bible, he began to feel new interest in spirituality and the notion of returning to church. He joined a men’s group at First Baptist that filled a hole in his life he wasn’t aware that he had. Payne would attend Sunday School on his off weeks at First Baptist Church, and he cut back on his drinking. The author tells us that Payne’s children had no idea how much they’d changed him. They were too young to understand. I enjoyed reading about the change in Stewart’s life (peace in his life due to his growing faith, wanting to be home with family more). The author tells us that it mattered less who he used to be or how he used to be. What mattered was who he was now and who he could become.
The author looks at the 1999 golf season as a bridge, with one side having veteran golfers such as Stewart, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Hal Sutton, and other players in their forties who’d learned to play winning golf with the old clubs and refined sense of feel. On the other side were David Duval, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and other players in their twenties who’d benefited the most from advancements in equipment that made golf easier through forgiveness, length, and stability.
The author tells us that the National Transportation Safety Board’s report about the plane accident that killed Payne and five others concluded that the probable cause of the accident was “incapacitation of the flight crew members as a result of their failure to receive supplemental oxygen following a loss of cabin pressure for undetermined reasons.” Like many others, I can remember where I was (at work) when I first heard about the plane that was basically flying itself, with the passengers gone long before the plane hit the ground in South Dakota. Because of the recommendations included in the report, the author tells us that flying now in an airplane like the Learjet 35 is safer because of what likely happened aboard N47BA in 1999.
Recommended for golf fans in general and Payne Stewart fans in particular.
The author gives an overview of Stewart’s life and professional career, from growing up in Springfield, Missouri to his home with wife and two children in Orlando, Florida, where they lived along the 12th hole on Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill golf course. Payne’s earned his PGA Tour card, won his second tournament and played his final professional tournament at Disney in Orlando. The book primarily takes us through roughly the last year of his life, from the 1998 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, through the flight that would take his life on October 25, 1999. In between, we get a detailed look at the 1999 Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 1999 U.S. Open, both of which Payne won, and the 1999 Ryder Cup, which the U.S. won and at which Payne displayed some excellent sportsmanship.
I was most interested in Payne’s growing Christian faith. The author tells us that growing up, Payne and his family would attend Grace United Methodist Church in Springfield, but Payne would not mature in his faith until the final years of his life. In 1996, Payne and wife Tracey decided to put their children in a private school affiliated with the First Baptist Church in Orlando. Payne hadn’t been serious about his faith in years, but we are told that as he got older and saw the enthusiasm in his children about the Bible, he began to feel new interest in spirituality and the notion of returning to church. He joined a men’s group at First Baptist that filled a hole in his life he wasn’t aware that he had. Payne would attend Sunday School on his off weeks at First Baptist Church, and he cut back on his drinking. The author tells us that Payne’s children had no idea how much they’d changed him. They were too young to understand. I enjoyed reading about the change in Stewart’s life (peace in his life due to his growing faith, wanting to be home with family more). The author tells us that it mattered less who he used to be or how he used to be. What mattered was who he was now and who he could become.
The author looks at the 1999 golf season as a bridge, with one side having veteran golfers such as Stewart, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Hal Sutton, and other players in their forties who’d learned to play winning golf with the old clubs and refined sense of feel. On the other side were David Duval, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and other players in their twenties who’d benefited the most from advancements in equipment that made golf easier through forgiveness, length, and stability.
The author tells us that the National Transportation Safety Board’s report about the plane accident that killed Payne and five others concluded that the probable cause of the accident was “incapacitation of the flight crew members as a result of their failure to receive supplemental oxygen following a loss of cabin pressure for undetermined reasons.” Like many others, I can remember where I was (at work) when I first heard about the plane that was basically flying itself, with the passengers gone long before the plane hit the ground in South Dakota. Because of the recommendations included in the report, the author tells us that flying now in an airplane like the Learjet 35 is safer because of what likely happened aboard N47BA in 1999.
Recommended for golf fans in general and Payne Stewart fans in particular.
March 27, 2020
From a writing quality standpoint, I wish I could write sentences as beautiful and effortlessly constructed as Kevin. As a young sports writer, I found myself underlining sentences where I thought, "HOW DID HE THINK OF THAT?" Loved the book, it's actually the perfect time to read since we're now experiencing what it is like to lose a celebrity athlete to an unexpected event (Kobe Bryant). Obviously, Payne Stewart died in a different era, and his past isn't riddled with criminal activity (rape), but similar to Bryant, he really changed his image from, quite frankly, an immature asshole, to a man of strong Christian faith, humility and benevolence. It's almost this perfect tragedy where he makes amends with the people he has wronged just before his death. His story transcends golf. As a person, he learned life's lessons through tumultuous years of golf and took them to heart. We'll never know what wrongs he still wanted to make right.
I only give it 4 stars because I am not a person who picks up a golf book, or knows a lot about golf. It took me a little longer to get through the book because while Kevin does a great job of describing all the characters and tournament formats, I still had to go back a few pages sometimes to remind myself of essential details.
Any golf enthusiast would love this book, but I encourage any sports fan to read it.
I only give it 4 stars because I am not a person who picks up a golf book, or knows a lot about golf. It took me a little longer to get through the book because while Kevin does a great job of describing all the characters and tournament formats, I still had to go back a few pages sometimes to remind myself of essential details.
Any golf enthusiast would love this book, but I encourage any sports fan to read it.
September 3, 2025
Payne Stewart occupies a unique place in the history of golf, both a flamboyant player and a unique personality, the evolution of Stewart from a self-interested and often disliked golfer, into a friendly and inspiring comeback story with a tragic conclusion, is one that will linger with golf for many years to come. Tracing Stewart’s life, his struggles on the course and off, his drive, his personality, his strengths and his struggles, Robbins helps the modern reader understand not only who Stewart was, but the place and role that Stewart had in the world of golf and sport. A book like this, for anyone who knows the end of Stewart’s story, is inherently tinged with sadness and tragedy, but Robbins does a good job of focusing on the life of Stewart rather than contextualizing him in foreshadowing or star-crossed terminology. He walks the reader through the personality of Stewart, what made him special and why he was beloved by so many, disliked by so many, and why his legacy continues to live on in the professional golf world. At times this book could get a little bogged down when discussing his personal life, often repeating the similar sentiments over and over. The tracing of events can often bleed into each other as well, but as a general look into the life of a tragic golf hero, it’s a good read.
June 2, 2020
I’ve been an avid Tour follower or watcher for 30 plus years, never more so during the major tournaments. In the beginning I was not much a fan of Payne Stewart. I saw what others saw — a dandy, braggart, and a somewhat immature Tour professional. But my opposition began to melt watching the US Open at Olympic in 1998. The crazy putt which rolled away 25 feet downhill from the miss, the ball falling in a sand divot, and Payne’s grace after a painful loss.
For the 1999 Open, I was rooting for Mickelson but I remember being riveted. And my heart melted again after he drained his final putt on 18 and took Mickelson by the face saying that the important thing was that he was about to be a father.
And I recall the drama and shock of the day when his ghost flight was on the news and the news he had perished came.
Robbins tells Payne’s story with aplomb and gripping intensity. It brought back a lot of memories and made
me appreciate Payne’s journey to become a better golfer and person. It’s a wonderful book.
For the 1999 Open, I was rooting for Mickelson but I remember being riveted. And my heart melted again after he drained his final putt on 18 and took Mickelson by the face saying that the important thing was that he was about to be a father.
And I recall the drama and shock of the day when his ghost flight was on the news and the news he had perished came.
Robbins tells Payne’s story with aplomb and gripping intensity. It brought back a lot of memories and made
me appreciate Payne’s journey to become a better golfer and person. It’s a wonderful book.
July 24, 2020
I loved this book for two reasons - first of all, I'm from Springfield, Missouri which was Payne's hometown and I've known of him ever since he started on the PGA tour. And second, I love professional golf and enjoy watching it every week with my husband. And yes, I remember what I was doing that October afternoon when Payne's plane was off its trajectory and headed to disaster.
Robbins has written an excellent book that follows Payne's career complete with his failings, his immaturity, his unsportsmanlike behavior...and his triumphs, his maturity and his love for his family and friends. Thanks to his children he came to know Christ before his death and shared his new found Christianity with others through his actions and words.
The book is also a primer for the evolution of golf equipment during the 1980s and 90s - a time when the clubs and balls known to Payne and his generation were being phased out for more high tech offerings.
Overall, an enjoyable book about golf and one extraordinary player.
Robbins has written an excellent book that follows Payne's career complete with his failings, his immaturity, his unsportsmanlike behavior...and his triumphs, his maturity and his love for his family and friends. Thanks to his children he came to know Christ before his death and shared his new found Christianity with others through his actions and words.
The book is also a primer for the evolution of golf equipment during the 1980s and 90s - a time when the clubs and balls known to Payne and his generation were being phased out for more high tech offerings.
Overall, an enjoyable book about golf and one extraordinary player.
December 21, 2021
2.5. The chronological coverage of his early career up until the 98 US Open was pretty bland, sort of like reading a long Wikipedia article on Payne's career. Reading about the 98 and 99 US Opens was a little more interesting, but the insight on the 99 Ryder Cup is the only thing I would really recommend from the book as being truly entertaining and illuminating. The author also had a very frequent, and in my opinion bad, tendency to differ to what Payne or other characters were thinking, rather than attributing direct quotes. I have no idea where these thoughts are sourced from. I assume they were skimmed from previous books or articles, but it's hard not to feel at times like the author is just making educated guesses. It really takes away from any feeling that I'm getting new or insightful information from the book.
July 7, 2023
Probably more of a 3.5 star rating.
Golf fans of a certain age will remember Payne Stewart for two things - his throwback trademark clothing of plus fours and a flat cap, and the hallowing plane crash that took his life. This book aims to give a fuller picture of Payne, the man and the golfer.
Unfortunately, the biography tends to give too much golf info, and not enough off the course insight. Many pages feel like a Wikipedia entry, with dense lists of numbers and data. I wish there was more storytelling, and less play-by-play of every shot and round of a tournament.
All this said, the book does provide some interesting anecdotes despite its shortcomings. But I wish there was more meat, as Payne is one of the most memorable players the tour has ever seen.
Golf fans of a certain age will remember Payne Stewart for two things - his throwback trademark clothing of plus fours and a flat cap, and the hallowing plane crash that took his life. This book aims to give a fuller picture of Payne, the man and the golfer.
Unfortunately, the biography tends to give too much golf info, and not enough off the course insight. Many pages feel like a Wikipedia entry, with dense lists of numbers and data. I wish there was more storytelling, and less play-by-play of every shot and round of a tournament.
All this said, the book does provide some interesting anecdotes despite its shortcomings. But I wish there was more meat, as Payne is one of the most memorable players the tour has ever seen.
November 30, 2022
Listened on audio and highly recommend this format. The narrator brings the emotions of the story to life.
This isn’t just about Payne Stewart’s career and untimely death. There’s a tremendous amount of golf history and trivia. What I enjoyed most, was learning about the friendships and competitiveness between golfers and following Payne’s transition from a cocky kid to a thoughtful, caring, mature husband, father and golfer.
Who would have thought you’d need tissues for a golf book? You do! And after the epilogue, what resonates with me is that you never know when the last words you speak to someone may be your last. Make them count.
This isn’t just about Payne Stewart’s career and untimely death. There’s a tremendous amount of golf history and trivia. What I enjoyed most, was learning about the friendships and competitiveness between golfers and following Payne’s transition from a cocky kid to a thoughtful, caring, mature husband, father and golfer.
Who would have thought you’d need tissues for a golf book? You do! And after the epilogue, what resonates with me is that you never know when the last words you speak to someone may be your last. Make them count.
December 2, 2023
Written 20 years after the death of Payne Stewart, this book presents a balanced profile of a tremendous golfer. I saw the good side of Payne in 1988, when he was practicing by himself in the late afternoon on the Sunday before the US Open. He couldn't have been more chill to the 7 or 8 of us watching him. He let us in a little bit that day to the fact he wasn't a jerk.
I also cringed at his behavior and brattiness over his career and noticed his maturation towards the end of his life. The author uses the '98 US Open to reflect this.
Well worth the read if you are at all familiar with Payne or if you just like a good story of a complex man who was a major champion.
I also cringed at his behavior and brattiness over his career and noticed his maturation towards the end of his life. The author uses the '98 US Open to reflect this.
Well worth the read if you are at all familiar with Payne or if you just like a good story of a complex man who was a major champion.
October 16, 2019
I watched in despair as that jet traveled all by itself over the middle of the country. Adorable, this man.
The book is well written and well researched. It sometimes is indeed a golf book, which is fine. It struggles over #2 at Pinehurst, and Payne's teachers and coaches. It grabs you when it goes back to Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and indeed, the days after Payne died. I watched the bagpipe player walk into the mist - and had tears in my eyes.
I'm glad I read it.
The book is well written and well researched. It sometimes is indeed a golf book, which is fine. It struggles over #2 at Pinehurst, and Payne's teachers and coaches. It grabs you when it goes back to Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and indeed, the days after Payne died. I watched the bagpipe player walk into the mist - and had tears in my eyes.
I'm glad I read it.
October 25, 2019
(2). For golf nuts only. And to be sure, I am a golf nut. Most of us aficionados are aware of a lot of this information, but to get all so chronologically correct with all the side stories is interesting. Stewart's relationships (and lack thereof) with the rest of the golf world is also new information. The story of his death is very tragic, but to have it recounted in such detail and to the tune of 40 or more pages is over the top. For the right folks, reasonable stuff.
December 1, 2019
Payne Stewart was a great golfer and a big personality. The book documents his evolution as a golfer and a person, and describes in detail what happened on that fateful flight. I think most anyone interested in golf history, and particularly Payne’s era where the game transformed from shot shaping to power golf, will find this interesting and will mourn Payne’s death. I don’t think the writing is quite up to the subject, but definitely a worthwhile read.
February 6, 2020
The third book I’ve read on Payne Stewart and I think definitely the most balanced. His whole life is intertwined in the book with his last year of 1999 and how it was an end of an era. A great read though with looking at someone who was changing for the better when his life was tragically cut short.....
March 19, 2020
Many Sundays, I watch the final round of a PGA tournament with Tom. There was a time over twenty years ago when the list of players included Payne Stewart. While I am much more a fan of my golf fan than an actual fan independent of Tom’s interest, the book was very well written. I highly recommend it for the golfer in your life.
March 24, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I was not a big fan of Payne Stewart but this book gave me some insight into him. I thought the book was a little repetitive. A big point of the book is that golf is full of big hitters and that the feel player is gone. I get it but I got tired of hearing it! But still a fun read.
August 20, 2020
One of the better golf books I’ve read in a damn long while. Equal parts about Payne, the major championships with heavy focus on US Opens, the Ryder Cup and how Payne was the last major champion of the shot makers era. After Payne guys would just bomb it off the tee and worry about where it lands when they get to the ball.
March 14, 2020
I am not a fan of Payne Stewart and I am mildly interested in golf -- nevertheless I found the golf history very interesting and the writer did a good job weaving together the personal and professional in the context of the sport.
May 31, 2021
If you liked Payne Stewart, this book is a must read!
Insightful. Tight, well-written. Research was spot on. The writer does an excellent job of tying many ends into one very readable strand.
Insightful. Tight, well-written. Research was spot on. The writer does an excellent job of tying many ends into one very readable strand.
October 8, 2021
Payne Stewart was right in the middle-the first to start graphite shafts, metal woods, used for shotmaking-and the boomers who came afterwards-Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson. Interesting book about a very good golfer who I saw win the US Open at Hazeltine in 1991
August 11, 2022
A great perspective on a great golfer. I enjoyed how he focused on Payne’s growth and maturity. I especially liked how he focused on Payne’s growth as a Christian. I recommend this book to any golf fan or to all middle aged fathers.
December 26, 2019
Really enjoyed this one. Great description, great reporting, an honest look at an interesting golfer.
December 29, 2019
Excellent book. Reminds me of John Feinstein from the 90s.
April 10, 2020
Sad....
June 29, 2020
I liked it. Was hoping for a bit more
September 11, 2020
Not bad....not much new information... Keep on Reading ! :)
August 26, 2021
A well-researched and, for the most part, an easy-to-read book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews