Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Stricker wins Payne Stewart award
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Steve Stricker, a 12-times winner on the PGA Tour who is known for his gracious demeanour and good sportsmanship, was named the recipient of the 2012 Payne Stewart Award on Tuesday.
Steve Stricker of the U.S. reacts after sinking a putt on the ninth green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, August 11, 2012. REUTERS/Mathieu BelangerThe honour is given annually to a player sharing Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game and his commitment to uphold golf's heritage of charitable support.
"For years, Steve Stricker has epitomised everything that the Payne Stewart Award represents," Tour commissioner Tim Finchem told reporters at East Lake Golf Club on Tuesday ahead of this week's Tour Championship.
"From his professionalism on the golf course to his compassion for others off of it, it is hard to think of a more fitting recipient."
Stricker, 45, was teary-eyed while speaking to reporters at East Lake.
"It's very humbling and an honour that I never thought would be possible," Stricker said. "I'm very fortunate, very blessed to be a part of this.
"Golf obviously means a lot to me. I've tried to conduct myself over the years ... to set an example, lead down the proper road, lead by example, and Payne did that.
"The guys that have won this award prior to me have done that. Those guys stand for what Payne was and what kind of person and what kind of player he was."
Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price, Tom Watson, Jay Haas, Brad Faxon, Gary Player, Hal Sutton, Davis Love III, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman and David Toms were previous winners of the award.
American Stewart, who died in a plane crash in 1999, won 11 times on the PGA Tour including three majors.
- Mixed reaction to Chong Wei’s remarks on Lin Dan’s wild card
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Badminton: Coaches voice out frustration over new lighting system at Putra Stadium at Bukit Jalil
- Cai Lin breaks 200m freestyle record
- Djokovic crashes in Rome, ailing Sharapova pulls out, Federer wins
- China play it cool; Past records mean nothing, says chief coach Yongbo
- Learn Spanish Hafizh as part of plan to conquer MotoGP
- Table tennis: Leading Chinese quartet power into last 16 of world meet
- Shankar hopes Sri Lanka will shine at Sudirman Cup
- KLHC don’t want final to go into extra-time or shootout
- O'Gara retires to take up coaching role
- Shields up to push claim for higher honours
- Dane Hoyer Larsen elected BWF president
- Crusaders slap down upstart Blues in soggy Christchurch
- Cycling: Leader Van Garderen wins California time trial
- Golf: Keegan Bradley maintains Byron Nelson lead
- Golf: Korda seizes lead at Mobile Bay LPGA
- Bradley stays in charge, Guan exits
- Hall of Famer Venturi dies aged 82
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
RSS
