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player ready...Payne Stewart has become the desert fox. He won his third consecutive Skins Game Sunday by collecting $280,000. Not bad work if you can get it.
Stewart also has matured enough to realize that pressure is not waiting over putts for unholy sums of money until the producer decides all cameras are properly positioned between cactus plants.
No, when you’ve earned more money from golf than you’ll ever spend, pressure is being benched during the second round of the Ryder Cup after you’ve bombed in the first round. Stewart, ill-prepared for last September’s joust against Europe, endured such a fate. U.S. Capt. Tom Watson told Stewart to sit down and think about it. He responded-and contributed mightily to America’s victory.
“That’s a pride check, that event,” Stewart said. “You get expenses, not even enough to cover your wife’s cocktail dress. It makes you a better player.”
Stewart certainly was the best player this weekend at Bighorn, a glitzy real estate development carved from the Santa Rosa Mountains. Wielding a putter purchased from the pro shop for $50, he timed his short strokes just well enough to vanquish Fred Couples, who returned home with a paltry $260,000, while ailing Paul Azinger and ancient Arnold Palmer drew blanks.
Stewart, not known as the greatest finisher in tournament golf, surely has discovered a bonanza in these post-Thanksgiving shindigs. Since debuting in 1991, nervous and untested, Stewart has bagged $760,000 for 54 holes. He is thus history’s all-time money leader in the rich tradition of the Skins Game, born in 1983. That noise you heard was Ben Hogan crying foul.
“I have no idea why I’m so successful in this format,” said Stewart, who will have a Merry Christmas despite failing to win on the PGA Tour this season. He was burned on the 72nd hole at the Memorial by bosom pal Azinger, who sand-blasted into the cup. At the U.S. Open, Stewart was second to Lee Janzen. Here, though, there was some semblance of justice because Stewart simply hit the ball better than his adversaries.
Couples beat him on No. 10 Sunday with a 10-footer for $30,000. Stewart, putting last, missed. But with $100,000 on the table at No. 13, Stewart sank a 15-footer. Then at No. 16, he dropped a straightaway uphill 20-footer for $120,000. Stewart then stiffed his iron at No. 17 while the others sprayed theirs. But with only $40,000 at stake and the trophy secured, he mercifully halved the hole with Couples, who then picked up $80,000 at No. 18.
Couples, relaxed with his domestic affairs in order, could be a terror next year. He surely haunted Palmer on Sunday. The King almost chipped in for eagle at No. 15 and appeared poised to seize a skin. But Couples drained a 20-footer to tie and almost apologized. At No. 18, Palmer struck the best approach, but Couples birdied from 30 feet, then bashfully watched as Arnold’s attempt rolled past the cup.
“We were all rooting for Arnold to get at least one,” Couples said. “You can’t lose when Arnold has a chance to win.”
The tribute fit, and so did the march toward the final green beneath the zillion-dollar clubhouse. Palmer walked ahead to an impassioned audience, arm upraised. His three fuzzy-cheeked partners respectfully followed from a distance, along with an armada of carts. You don’t walk Bighorn, you drive it-and carefully. Winding paths contain speed bumps and caution signs. One wrong turn, and you’ll be talking golf with the coyotes.
“An interesting concept,” Palmer said politely.
Stewart, who lost his father to cancer a few years ago, designated a portion of his windfall to the Leukemia Society. Payne was flanked throughout by Joel Broering, a 17-year-old Ohioan who wanted to play golf with Stewart someday. But the boy is gravely ill, so he watched instead and wound up with his idol’s trophy, too.
“That’ll set your priorities straight,” Stewart said. “Joel has almost died twice. I won, so I’ll be back here next year. But how much money is enough? Joel won’t be back here next year.”