NBC in affiliation with the Golf Channel debuted their 1 hour special Payne Sunday June 8th, 2014 and reaired this on Monday to commemorate Payne Stewart’s last major golf championship, the 1999 United States Open Championship at Pine Hurst #2. With Phil Mickelson seeking to win the career grand slam this year at the place where Payne outdeuled him by 1 shot, the timing makes perfect sense. However, on October 25th, 1999, the world had a different kind of chase, watching cable news networks all day to locate a Leer jet which lost cable pressure shortly after take off, drifting way off course as fighter jets began to follow it. Winning the P.G.A. Championship on my birthday while in college, I remember this fateful day like it was yesterday as sports lost one of its greatest characters.
Clips from Payne’s funeral was aired and replayed by the Golf Channel, with many of golf’s greatest players in the attendance, most notably a young Tiger Woods. Speeches by Paul Azinger and Tracy Stewart his wife, inspired a 2 hour special in 1999, moving most who saw it to tears. Like a classic movie, I think I watched this original tribute to Payne a half dozen times, eventually leading me to name my second son, Daniel Payne. In my humble opinion, this second attempt to portray the real Payne Stewart cut and edited out whom became in his final years on earth.
Sure, to captivate an audience, its important to share Payne’s initial years as a brash individual who was immature and at times a jerk. Clearly explaining Payne’s father influence on his attire, knickers and flare for the game was also beneficial. Nonetheless, the editors purged Payne’s faith from this film, replacing in with religion. This sort of revisionist history is disingenuous to those whose closely followed Payne’s transformation from a sinner to a saint. The NEA may be able to get away with changing history to coincide with its own worldview in modern text books, but the spiritual legacy Payne Stewart has left behind is inspiring me to seek out and attain the abundant life Payne found, John 10:10. May all who search, find, peace, joy and love before breathing their last breathe, 1 Corinthians 13:13.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 