Synopses & Reviews
“A fresh and concise look at Payne Stewarts victory at the 1999 U.S. Open.”
---Golf Digest
It has been called the greatest U.S. Open in the Opens over one hundred-year history.
Veteran sports journalist, Bill Chastain, crafts the dramatic story of Payne Stewarts 1999 U.S. Open victory by combining extensive research with interviews of those who made it unique. Payne at Pinehurst shows how Stewart dealt with his stunning U.S. Open defeat in 1998 and planned victory for the championship that meant so much to him.
Stewarts conquest of Pinehurst No. 2, while fending off Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, David Duval, and Vijay Singh in an epic battle where every swing held significance, is the stuff of which golf legends are made. From compelling action by the best golfers in the world to the tournaments dramatic conclusion, Payne at Pinehurst shows readers why the 1999 U.S. Open is regarded as the best U.S. Open ever played.
“Exciting golf history combined with the poignant personal story of Stewarts life and death.”
---Booklist
“You dont have to be from North Carolina to understand what happened at the 1999 U.S. Open, and how it felt; it was an Open brushed by an angels wing, an Open that in retrospect seems almost fictional.... That Sunday in Pinehurst, when it all happened there in the mist, is one of the most memorable days in the history of the U.S. Open. Everything about it is more profound now, and yet somehow unreal.”
---Ron Green Sr., PGATOUR.com columnist and author of Shouting at Amen Corner
“While the 1999 U.S. Open may not have been the greatest Open ever, through Chastains effort it now makes the short list.”
---bookreporter.com
“Chastains book is a thoughtful look at one of Americas favorite golfers and at a tournament that raised his status to near legend.”
---News & Record (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Review
"You don't have to be from North Carolina to understand what happened at the 1999 U.S. Open, and how it felt; it was an Open brushed by an angel's wing, an Open that in retrospect seems almost fictional. That Sunday in Pinehurst, when it all happened there in the mist, is one of the most memorable days in the history of the U.S. Open. Everything about it is more profound now, and yet somehow unreal."- Ron Green Sr., PGATOUR.com columnist and author of
Shouting at Amen Corner
Synopsis
It has been called the greatest U.S. Open in the Open's more than one-hundred-year history. In Payne at Pinehurst, veteran sports journalist Bill Chastain crafts the dramatic story of the 1999 U.S. Open by combining extensive research with interviews of those who made this a unique event. Central to this amazing story is Payne Stewart. Stewart held a four-shot lead heading into the final day of the 1998 U.S. Open only to suffer a devastating defeat at the hands of his old nemesis, Lee Janzen.
How does a professional golfer take such an emotional shot and go back for more? Payne at Pinehurst details how Stewart chose to return to the arena and compete for the championship that meant so much to him.
Known for the fashion statements he made each week on the PGA Tour wearing his plus fours and tam, Stewart had worked hard to become a better person and find peace in his life. His journey after losing the '98 Open to making a special showing a year later was made possible in large part to his introspection and courage in discovering the person within.
A legendary golf tournament requires a legendary course. Pinehurst No. 2, located in the Sandhills of North Carolina, hosted the '99 Open. Designed by renowned golf-course architect Donald Ross, Pinehurst No. 2 had long been recognized as one of the best courses in the world, yet it had never hosted a U.S. Open. The course vastly differed from other U.S. Open-type courses. Bill Chastain analyzes how such an old course, with its unique dangers, could stymie the top golfers in the world and prevent them from going low.
Stewart's conquest of Pinehurst No. 2, while fending off Mickelson, Tiger Woods, David Duval, and Vijay Singhin an epic battle where every swing held significance, is the stuff of which golf legends are made. From compelling action by the best golfers in the world to the tournament's dramatic conclusion, Payne at Pinehurst shows readers why the 1999 U.S. Open is regarded as the best U.S. Open ever played.
Synopsis
"A fresh and concise look at Payne Stewart's victory at the 1999 U.S. Open."
---Golf Digest
It has been called the greatest U.S. Open in the Open's over one hundred-year history.
Veteran sports journalist, Bill Chastain, crafts the dramatic story of Payne Stewart's 1999 U.S. Open victory by combining extensive research with interviews of those who made it unique. Payne at Pinehurst shows how Stewart dealt with his stunning U.S. Open defeat in 1998 and planned victory for the championship that meant so much to him.
Stewart's conquest of Pinehurst No. 2, while fending off Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, David Duval, and Vijay Singh in an epic battle where every swing held significance, is the stuff of which golf legends are made. From compelling action by the best golfers in the world to the tournament's dramatic conclusion, Payne at Pinehurst shows readers why the 1999 U.S. Open is regarded as the best U.S. Open ever played.
"Exciting golf history combined with the poignant personal story of Stewart's life and death."
---Booklist
"You don't have to be from North Carolina to understand what happened at the 1999 U.S. Open, and how it felt; it was an Open brushed by an angel's wing, an Open that in retrospect seems almost fictional.... That Sunday in Pinehurst, when it all happened there in the mist, is one of the most memorable days in the history of the U.S. Open. Everything about it is more profound now, and yet somehow unreal."
---Ron Green Sr., PGATOUR.com columnist and author of Shouting at Amen Corner
"While the 1999 U.S. Open may not have been the greatest Open ever, through Chastain's effort it now makes the short list."
---bookreporter.com
"Chastain's book is a thoughtful look at one of America's favorite golfers and at a tournament that raised his status to near legend."
---News & Record (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Synopsis
Payne at Pinehurst presents a fascinating re-telling of the 1999 U.S. Open--considered by many golf experts as the greatest U.S. Open ever played--where Payne Stewart dramatically sunk a fifteen-foot putt on the 18th hole to defeat Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and a host of other golf greats just four months before his untimely death in a bizarre plane crash.
It has been called the greatest U.S. Open in the Open's over one hundred-year history.
Veteran sports journalist, Bill Chastain, crafts the dramatic story of Payne Stewart's 1999 U.S. Open victory by combining extensive research with interviews of those who made it unique. Payne at Pinehurst shows how Stewart dealt with his stunning U.S. Open defeat in 1998 and planned victory for the championship that meant so much to him.
Stewart's conquest of Pinehurst No. 2, while fending off Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, David Duval, and Vijay Singh in an epic battle where every swing held significance, is the stuff of which golf legends are made. From compelling action by the best golfers in the world to the tournament's dramatic conclusion, Payne at Pinehurst shows readers why the 1999 U.S. Open is regarded as the best U.S. Open ever played.
A fresh and concise look at Payne Stewart's victory at the 1999 U.S. Open.--Golf Digest
About the Author
Bill Chastain spent 12 years as a sportswriter for
The Tampa Tribune working as a columnist and baseball writer. His byline has appeared in numerous national publications and he has written two other books,
The Steve Spurrier Story: From Heisman to Head Ball Coach and
The Streak. Chastain lives in Tampa with his wife, Patti, and their two children, Carly and Kel.