The Last Stand of Payne Stewart

The Year Golf Changed Forever

De: Kevin Robbins

Narrado por: Henry Leyva

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 summer: 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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Payne Stewart was the last of golf's great swingers. In The Last Stand, Kevin Robbins has captured the man's game and style and too-short life for eternity."—Michael Bamberger, author of Men in Green

"Robbins delves convincingly into the agonizing nitty-gritty of what it takes to miss one less fairway per round, convert one more up-and-down and make one more crucial putt-the tiny improvements that spell the difference between winning a tournament and finishing in the middle of the pack."—The Wall Street Journal

"Riveting and heartbreaking...Focus[ing] on the final year of Stewart's life while expertly weaving in biographical details...Robbins provides both highly detailed and memorable accounts of Stewart's tournaments...Powerful...This excellent biography is sure to please many a golf aficionado."—Publishers Weekly

"Few public men have been more obviously flawed than brash, big-mouthed, attention-seeking Payne Stewart, and a slew of his contemporaries might seem better qualified to embody that era. Yet Kevin Robbins has pulled off the impossible: By charting Stewart's herky-jerk walk from brattishness to humility, while illuminating his play as the last-gasp of a golf now gone forever, he has revealed in his subject a largeness, a grace, that even Stewart never dreamed he had. So buy in -- and buckle up. Robbins' meticulously-reported work on Stewart's last hours stands as some of the finest writing on flight -- both its beauty and horrors -- published in years."—S.L. Price, Sports Illustrated senior writer and author of Playing Through the Whistle: Steel, Football, and An American Town

"Kevin Robbins knows golf, and he has brought energy and verve to the task of unraveling Payne Stewart's enigmatic life. This is a wise and beautifully written book about the inner life and journey of a gifted athlete."—Wil Haygood, author of The Butler

"Compelling and well told."—Booklist

"Around Payne Stewart's life, and death, mystique has grown. Kevin Robbins makes it all so lucid and real. There's brilliant reporting here, great humanity, and writing as memorably stylish as Stewart's famed plus fours. Reading this, the gallery will roar."—Gary M. Pomerantz, author, The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End

Wonderfully told story of life, golf and redemption

Kevin Robbins does a beautiful job providing insights into the life and times of Payne Stewart. As a golf lover of the same vintage, I would highly suggest this book to anyone who has ever played the game. Well done.

Must Read for golf fans!

totally enjoyed this story of Payne Stewart and his life in the game of golf. into in 20 years the plane crash has become a staple on "aircraft disasters" but it was much more interesting to hear about the man's life.

Great story.

This was a great book that shows you all sides of Payne Stewart. His life being cut short was a real tragedy.

Wonderful

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Payne Stewart’s amazing journey as a golfer and a man is brought to life in this beautiful tribute. Narration was excellent too.

John P

This book is simply a treasure.
One of my favorite biographies and sports books all in one.
It’s a must-listen for anyone who loves golf and a great biography.
Masterfully written with specific details and back stories that bring the life of Payne Stewart and his era of golf to life.
While still a tragedy, it leaves the listener filled with joy and peace pondering the story of a life well lived.
Highly recommended.

great golf book

I read a lot of golf books. this is one of my all time favorites. a must read for all golf fans.

Touching Tribute to a Golf Legend

Payne Stewart was my favorite golfer as I was growing up. When my dad would watch golf on the weekends I'd eagerly look to see if Payne was atop the leaderboard and if so, I'd watch as attentively as a little boy could. I recall wearing my own set of Plus 4's out on the course with my dad one time because I thought Payne Stewart was so cool.

Payne Stewart winning the 99 US Open is probably my very favorite PGA memory. This book does a solid job detailing the highlights and pivotal moments in Payne's golf life. The final 2 hours are certainly the biggest moments for me as a fan of his and the final hour detailing his passing is not a good idea to listen to if you're at work.

The author seemed to shy away from Payne's likely conversion to Christianity in the last years of his life as he made minimal effort to detail how that was the most obvious catalyst for his maturity on and off the course.

All-in-all a fine tribute to one of my boyhood heroes.

Great listen

Incredibly sad story, beautifully written. As a non-golf fan I truly enjoyed this book about what seems to be a gentle giant of the game. I would highly recommend this book.

The stories that I had never heard about Payne

Could hardly put the book down once I started listening to it fascinating story, will recommend

The maturing of Payne Stewart

This is a very good golf book. I went into it thinking it was mainly a book about Stewart’s 1999 US Open win at Pinehurst. I was wrong. It’s a mini-biography of Stewart with a focus on the last year of his life. Coverage of the 1999 Open doesn’t take up a huge part of the book. The plane crash that ended his life took up as much if not more of the book. It goes into detail about the depressurized runaway plane and it’s heartbreaking. His family knowing what was happening, it taking place over hours and everyone helpless to prevent it. If there is a movie version I doubt there will be a dry eye in the place when Stewart’s son calls his dad’s cell phone in an attempt to wake him up before the plane’s ultimate crash.

It’s a golf book, but ultimately it’s about Payne Stewart maturing. But, unfortunately, when he finally did mature Stewart didn’t live very long. The reader of the audio was a good one. I’d recommend this one to any golf fan.