There are awards, and then there is the Payne Stewart Award. Just ask any player who has had the honor of receiving it. Zach Johnson last week became the latest to be named the recipient of the PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company.
He received a surprise ZOOM call from PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and Payne Stewart’s children, Chelsea and Aaron, and wife, Tracey. It’s a must-watch. Johnson will be honored on Sept. 2 at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in conjunction with the TOUR Championship.
Past winners have distinguished themselves through their respect for the game, the TOUR’s tradition of charity and their ability to make a positive impact in the lives of others. “I never got to meet Payne, but I loved him,” Johnson said. “I loved how he played the game certainly as a competitor but then how he lived his life off the golf course – he’s the model.
I remember going to the TOUR Championship and the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony my rookie year and thinking, ‘This is the pinnacle of a PGA TOUR player’s career.’ ”
