Payne Stewart, aged 42, died in a plane accident on this day in 1999. His chartered Learjet depressurised while flying from Orlando to Dallas on his way to the Tour Championship, causing all the occupants to die of hypoxia.
The plane continued flying on autopilot for several hours until it ran out of fuel and crashed into a field in South Dakota. His death came just four months after Stewart won his second US Open, and just a month after he helped the US regain the Ryder Cup.
In all, Stewart won three Major championships, and was honoured by the PGA Tour in 2000 with the creation of the Payne Stewart Award, presented to players who uphold the traditions of the game.
Source: GolfToday.co.uk
