| | On a shocking and terrible day for golf fans and the PGA Tour surrounding the death of Payne Stewart, ESPN golf analyst Andy North took time to answer user questions. North, who called Stewart a good friend, remembered the golfer, the jokester and the family man.
An edited transcript from North's Oct. 25 chat follows:
| |  | | North says he will always remember Stewart's '99 U.S. Open win. |
Jesse: What do you think the PGA Tour will do this weekend to honor Payne's memory?
Andy North: It is going to be tough. I have not heard officially what they plan to do.
Our sport is so much different than many other sports. Other sports are reactionary: catching
something, throwing something, hitting something. You can sometimes let your mind wander,
and you can just be reactionary. In golf, you lose your concentration, you hit bad shots. I can imagine not everyone's minds will be focused on golf this weekend.
It is a tremendous tragedy and we can only send our best to his family. It must be a horrible time
for them. I wish there were more we could do.
Golfboy: I know there's a lot of money involved from TV and sponsors, but shouldn't they cancel this
week's tourney? Then, next year call the Tour Championship, the Payne Stewart Memorial
Tour Championship?
Andy North:
It will be interesting to see what happens. Cancelling would be very hard to do. There are a lot
of issues you don't have control over.
Maybe there is something to be said for playing the tournament this weekend. It is hard to say, "it is what Payne would have wanted" because no one knows what he really would have wanted. But he was such a competitor and loved to compete that I think he wouldn't want the tournament to be cancelled. It will be a tough
weekend for everyone.
Jeremy: How well did you know Payne? What stands out most in your mind about him as a golfer?
Andy North:
We didn't spend a lot of time away from the golf course but we did on the course. We played a
lot of practice rounds together and we spent a lot of time in the fitness trailer. I will always
remember the fun we had in there. He had a great sense of humor that a lot of people didn't get
to see. He was always stirring it up.
I will always remember him when he was a younger player and he was always tinkering with his game and trying to figure out ways to get
better.
Michael: Which of the players did you know Payne to be closest to, those whom would be most
affected by this tragedy?
Andy North:
He was the kind of guy that was well liked by a lot of people. But I would suspect the guys that
lived close to him in Orlando, Mark O'Meara, Lee Janzen etc.
The golf community is a very close-knit group. So this is like losing a member of your family so I
think it will effect everyone in a different way.
Claus: I know that other players are use jets. Is there any way to protect
players from this kind of mishap?
Andy North:
There are a lot of players that are using private aircrafts. A lot of players use them for
convenience and for safety. This type of jet has never had any problems before that I am aware
of -- the safety record is very good. So I think players will continue to use this type of aircraft.
If you can afford it, it is a great way to travel. Players say it adds close to 30 days a year at
home to their schedule.
Aakash Bhatt: What was Payne's reason for dressing in the attire that he did?
Andy North:
I think he wanted to be a little different and also to celebrate the tradition of the game. He was very into the tradition of the game.
It helped him out in several ways. 1. He was instantly recognizable on the course and that
helped him with endorsements. 2. He was unrecognizable off the course in normal clothes and that
helped him with his family and going out in public.
Tom: What do you feel was Payne's defining moment as a professional golfer?
Andy North:
I think you have to look at him as a player who could really play well in big events (2 U.S.
Opens, 1 PGA).
But the putt he made on the 72nd hole at Pinehurst to win the U.S. Open this year and his
emotions afterward will always be remembered. And to go over and talk to Phil Mickelson
about parenthood showed what a class guy he was and how important his family was to him.
But that putt, I will never forget.
Charles Salzer: How will the U.S. Open be handled next year without a defending champion?
Andy North:
I don't think that will be an issue. I would suspect there have been other U.S. Opens were the
defending champion was absence. I am sure there will be some sort of memorial for him, but I
believe the event will go on as Payne would want it to.
Brent Fulberry: Who could forget Payne's gracious conceding to Colin Montgomerie at this year's Ryder Cup?
I'm not sure many other players would have shown as much sportsmanship.
Andy North:
That was a big part of Payne -- the game of golf was very important to him. No one tried harder,
or worked harder or wanted to win more. But he was always gracious and conscious of the
golfers around him.
The fans were ridiculous around Colin and it was a great move by Payne.
Jack Harms: What do you think the PGA Tour will miss most about Payne??
Andy North:
He was one of the classiest players -- he was always prepared and always went out and tried his
hardest. As tour commissioner Tim Fichen said today, he is an irreplaceable person. He was one of a kind and that
is what made him so special.
Joe: Do you think Payne's dress style will overshadow his great playing style?
Andy North:
Yes, I think that might happen. I think some will remember him by how he looked on the
course. But that is going to happen when someone makes a statement like Payne did. Look at
how Dennis Rodman will be remembered, but he was always a terrific basketball player.
David Ellis: Is there a place that we can send cards and donations to?
Andy North:
I would think you could send it to the tour headquarters in Jacksonville or to Bay Hill Golf Course in Orlando -- that is a course he used to live on and played extensively.
I wouldn't think the family would want anything coming to the house, but if you sent something
to one of those two places, it will get to the family.
M: Why did Payne Stewart always seem to bring out his best for the key events?
Andy North:
That is the mark of real champion -- you can elevate your game and your play at the big events.
He won three majors, but was close so many other times. All of the great players in our time,
always raised their game at the Majors and that is what separates the good golfers from the
great golfers.
Clyde: What first went through your mind when you heard the news today?
Andy North:
Shock that here is a guy that was my friend and he is gone. But the longer I sit around and think
about it, we are lucky, as a sport, that we haven't had more accidents like this with all the miles
we all travel. It was a fluke and we won't know what really happened for a few days.
We are going to miss a great player, a great champion and someone that played with a lot of
heart every time he teed it up. He was a great father and a great husband and we will all miss
him terribly. All we can do now is send our love and prayers to his family.
That's all the time I have. Thanks. | |
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