Payne Stewart will always be remembered as the one who was taken too soon.
Not long after he won the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst N0. 2, he perished when his jet crashed.
He will now take his place in the PGA of America’s Hall of Fame when the Class of 2015 is honored at the PGA of America’s Nov. 12 meeting.
Joining Stewart will be Lee Trevino, Charlie Sifford and Tommy Bolt. Lesser known honorees include club pros Michael Doctor and Ray Cutright along with University of Texas golf coach George Hannon.
Stewart won three major championships, including the 1989 PGA.
He is memorialized at Pinehurst with his own statue next to that of Donald Ross, the iconic golf course architect.
The pose duplicates Stewart’s celebration after making the 20-foot putt that beat a younger Phil Mickelson for the championship.
