North Carolina
U.S. Open '24: Payne Stewart indelibly linked to Pinehurst
Payne Stewart, in 1999, celebrates after winning the U.S. Open golf championship at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C. The U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst for the fourth time, June 13-16, 2024.
Associated Press
Pinehurst No. 2 in the sandhills region of North Carolina has 117 years of golf history behind it. That includes a PGA Championship not many remember, a Ryder Cup before anyone cared and one U.S. Open champion no one can forget.
No trip to Pinehurst No. 2 is complete without posing with the statue of Payne Stewart striking as famous a pose as any in U.S. Open history — left leg planted, right arm thrust forward after he holed a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole for a one-shot victory over Phil Mickelson.
It’s hard to go to Pinehurst without thinking about Payne.
Any trip would be emotional for his children, especially the 25-year anniversary of his 1999 U.S. Open title, which came four months before Stewart, three associates and both pilots perished in a freak plane crash.
Chelsea Stewart O’Brien was 13 when her father died and now is a mother of two working in strategic partnerships for AT&T. She once wrote that milestone events were the hardest — the anniversary of his U.S. Open win, the plane crash on Oct. 25, 1999, weddings, births.
This week feels different.
“He had such a flair and a joy for life that it’s easy to celebrate him,” she said. “I think as we’ve grown, and our families have grown, we’re trying to remember and instill in our children all he stood for. Now it’s quite an honor to celebrate all he accomplished and the man he was.”
She has been back to Pinehurst, most recently when Stewart was posthumously given the Bob Jones Award. So has Aaron Stewart, who was 10 when his father died. He played Pinehurst No. 2 in the fabled North & South Amateur in 2009, even using his dad’s former caddie (Mike Hicks) and the yardage book from that 1999 U.S. Open.
“Obviously, next week being the 25th anniversary of Dad’s win at Pinehurst has special significance,” said Stewart, who has two young sons and is vice president of sports marketing for Hilton Grand Vacations. Among other things, he runs the LPGA season opener.
“Pinehurst has been different over the years for me,” he said. “There were a few summers I played in the North & South Amateur and competed on the course. Overall, Pinehurst is a special place and a special village. It just means more.
“All the stuff they’re doing to honor Dad and his win is just icing on top of a special place,” he said. “It’s going to be an emotional week, for sure.”
Their mother, Tracey, will be joining them. None of them was there in 1999 when Stewart won his third major, and by far his most famous. He had his trademark knickers and tam o’shanter cap. It was raining, and he ripped out the sleeves of his rain jacket for more freedom in his sweet, fluid swing.
Tiger Woods was charging. Mickelson was leading. Stewart, chomping away on his gum, made a 25-foot par putt on the 16th to tie for the lead, a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th to take the lead and that 15-foot par putt on the 18th to win it.
His reaction — now captured by the statue — still rates among the most memorable in the U.S. Open with Tom Watson’s running toward the 17th hole at Pebble Beach when he chipped in, Hale Irwin racing around the 18th green high-fiving fans at Medinah, Woods pumping his arms after his tying birdie putt at Torrey Pines.
“Payne was one of those dramatic individuals,” longtime friend Peter Jacobsen said. “He made such an impression on the course and off the course. He had a distinctive style, he was a flamboyant dresser. He was recognizable everywhere.”
The statue is being moved for the U.S. Open, and that’s a good thing. The USGA wanted better access to it, so it will be relocated from the back of the 18th green to near the entrance, giving spectators a chance to see it and pose with it.
“They been incredible partners to our family,” Ms. Stewart O’Brien said. “It’s really neat what they’ve done. We’ve been honored to have them think so highly of our dad and have him remembered in that way.”
There are ceremonies and other functions planned early in the week — Jacobsen will be the emcee for one of them — and Monday marks the launch of a new Payne Stewart Collection clothing line. Yes, it will include a rain vest as part of his wardrobe from that Sunday in 1999.
“No scissors needed,” Aaron Stewart said.
They were producing a catalog for the clothing — knickers and the cap are among the items, but also shorts and sweaters and pants — and they needed a cover. Aaron Stewart agreed to be the model, going to Pinehurst recently to dress in slacks and an argyle sweater.
He struck a familiar pose. Very familiar.
“It was kind of eerie how much he looked like Dad in a couple of pictures,” his sister said.
“It was quite the spectacle to see,” Aaron Stewart said. “That was on a normal day at Pinehurst. People were walking by and there were a lot of eyeballs.”
Stewart died at age 42, just four months after that U.S. Open title that remains so memorable, and a month after the U.S rallied to win the Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
That was another big moment.
“Everything he did was in a big way,” Jacobsen said.
The cup was decided and Stewart was on the verge of earning a halve against Colin Montgomerie. The heckling, already ruthless and relentless, reached a point that Stewart walked over and picked up the Scot’s marker to concede the match.
Perhaps it’s no wonder Stewart lives as large in death.
The Payne Stewart Family Foundation includes golf camps for lower income families. The PGA Tour began the Payne Stewart Award, which has become the most prestigious of all for players. Mrs. Stewart and her children attend in Atlanta each year during the Tour Championship in what always is an emotional night.
Scottie Scheffler has been the last few years. He was asked this week for the first thing to come to mind when he hears Stewart’s name.
“Either his putt at Pinehurst, and then the Payne Stewart Award is something I always try to go to at East Lake,” Scheffler said. “His legacy and seeing his family there is always really special. He did a lot for the communities that we play in across the country, and he was really an inspirational guy that I look up to as a player just because of the impact he was able to have off the golf course as well.”
FILE — Caddie Mike Hicks, left, and Aaron Stewart, son of the late Payne Stewart, are seen on the 18th green at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., on June 29, 2009, for the North & South Amateur. Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, four months before he perished in a plane crash. Aaron Stewart will be back at Pinehurst with his sister and mother for this year’s U.S. Open to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the 1999 U.S. Open. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
AP
A top North Carolina lawmaker who suffered a stunning upset in his primary election last month spoke publicly about the result Tuesday, blaming the loss on political opponents across the aisle.
North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger — who has led the chamber since 2011 — lost the Republican primary for his seat to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page by 23 votes, one of the closest elections in state history. Berger conceded defeat in a March 24 statement after a machine recount and partial hand recount yielded no change in Page’s lead.
Berger discussed the experience with reporters Tuesday after lawmakers convened for a short legislative session in Raleigh. Asked what message voters sent him in the primary, Berger said: “Democrats like to vote in some Republican primaries. That’s the message.”
Berger didn’t elaborate on his explanation. Registered Democrats are only allowed to take Democratic ballots in primary elections. But unaffiliated voters are allowed to participate in a party primary of their choice. Berger didn’t suggest changes to that law, but he mentioned possible examination of other election laws.
He said lawmakers should reconsider the number of days North Carolina allows for early voting in primaries. In-person early voting started on Feb. 12 and ended Feb. 28.
“Seventeen days of early voting just seemed pretty excessive and it really stresses the local boards of elections,” Berger said. Some county election boards struggle to find daily staffing for all of their voting sites in the early voting period, he said.
Minority Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, called Berger’s comments “an insult to his district and an affront to our democracy.”
“The voters sent him a clear message,” Batch said. “It’s time he accept it and get back to work to finish the job he still has, while he still has it. Pass a budget.”
State lawmakers haven’t adopted a comprehensive state budget since 2023. They were expected to do so last year, but Berger and Republican House Speaker Destin Hall have been at odds over a range of issues, including tax policy, Medicaid funding, and other line items affecting billions of dollars in state funding.
Berger said Tuesday that he and Hall were on the verge of a spending agreement for Medicaid, the government-funded health insurer for people who are young, impoverished or disabled. Republican legislators plan to approve Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s $319 Medicaid request, while adding guardrails and oversight measures to prevent fraud and waste.
To strike the deal, Berger said Tuesday that he had agreed to postpone discussions about funding for a massive new children’s hospital. The 2023 budget authorized about $320 million over three fiscal years for North Carolina Children’s Health — a partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health — to open in Apex in 2032. About $216 million has already been spent. Hall has said his caucus wants to reconsider the final installment of funds, about $103 million, while Berger has called on House leaders to release the money.
“We’ve agreed to move the discussion of whether or not the House is going to honor the agreement they made in 2023 to the full budget discussion,” Berger said Tuesday.
Earlier Tuesday, Hall told reporters that progress had been made on negotiating children’s hospital funding.
“It’s not resolved yet,” Hall said. “I think there’s some questions about how much more money it’s going to need exactly in order to be a viable project. And so, you know, those discussions continue.”
Those budget negotiations are ongoing, but Berger said recent conversations have given him reason to be optimistic. “We’re having conversations,” he said. “They are substantive. They haven’t gotten us to an agreement yet, but we are continuing to talk, continuing to exchange ideas,” Berger said.
Hall described budget talks similarly: “The trajectory is good [enough] to where we’re very likely to get a budget done, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Berger said that, in the final months of his term, he wants to focus on policies that make North Carolina a top destination for businesses.
“I’d like to continue the progress that we’ve made over the years in making North Carolina number one state for business and making North Carolina a competitive state in terms of our tax climate and our regulatory climate,” Berger said, adding that he wants to boost education funding as well.
Addressing property taxes
House and Senate Republicans are also offering separate proposals for limiting property taxes in North Carolina.
House Republicans are pursuing a constitutional amendment that would give the state more control over how much cities and counties can raise property taxes. On Tuesday, Berger said he doesn’t think there’s a consensus on the proposed amendment and noted that it would take several months to enact into law. Voters must approve constitutional amendments at the polls in order for them to become law.
“It’s a start that we can look at,” Berger said of the proposed constitutional amendment. “But that, by itself, would not actually go into effect until after the voters approve it, if they approve it, and then the legislature actually passes some sort of legislation.”
Berger said he plans to introduce a bill that freezes municipal property tax revaluations for 12 months while legislators study the issue further.
“We’ve got to do something,” Berger said. “I just don’t know that there’s consensus as to what that something is.
“The best thing that we can do at this point is just call a timeout and give the legislature an opportunity to try to review whatever proposals might be out there.”
Less than two weeks after losing its head coach to Duke University, a North Carolina high school football program has been promoted from within.
Kevin Reddick will become the new head coach at Rolesville High School, replacing Ranier Rackley, who became the Director of Player Development at Duke University.
News of the decision was first reported by High School OT.
Reddick was the defensive coordinator for the Rams for the past three seasons, helping the team win 25 games during that run. Last year, Rolesville allowed just under 15 points per game with Reddick in charge of the defense.
North Carolina High School Promotes Defensive Coordinator To Head Coach
Rolesville finished 9-4 last season under Rackley and Reddick.
Reddick is a graduate of New Bern High School, helping the Bears capture the 2007 Class 4AA North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Football championship. He was tabbed the most valuable player of that title game as a sophomore fullback after scoring two touchdowns in a 28-17 victory over Independence.
At New Bern, Reddick earned conference defensive player of the year honors and was all-state at lineback as a senior after recording 189 tackles, eight quarterback sacks, six forced fumbles and four blocked punts. He also ran for over 160 yards and scored six touchdowns.
Kevin Reddick Was College Standout, Had NFL Career Before Becoming Coach
Following his high school career, Reddick signed with North Carolina as a four-star prospect, earning first team all-ACC honors as a senior. He also had offers from North Carolina State, Virginia and Clemson.
With the Tar Heels, Reddick played in 50 games, recording 275 tackles, including 36 for loss, with 8.5 quarterback sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Reddick signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie free agent, and also had stints with the San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills.
Rolesville reached the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Football championship game with Reddick on the coaching staff and the third round this past season.
Rolesville Returns Top Rusher, Several Other Key Players
The Rams will be replacing starting quarterback Kaleb Williams, who had almost 2,500 yards passing and 22 touchdowns, as freshman Chase Williams was 8-for-8 for 98 yards with a touchdown in three games.
They will have top running back Amir Brown back, as he ran for 1,374 yards with 22 touchdowns and six games of 100 yards rushing as a junior. He also had 13 receptions for 106 yards and another TD.
Anthony Roberts is another key player back, as he caught 35 passes for 656 yards and nine TDs. Top tacklers Jayden Broadie, Javon Campbell, Genesis Allen and Keonte Sutton are all set to return, as well.
Follow
At least two people are dead and “several” others are injured after a “planned fight” at a North Carolina park escalated into a mass shooting, authorities said.
Police have identified several victims and suspects after Monday’s shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Authorities confirmed there were multiple victims in the shooting, but did not provide an exact number. The suspects were still at large over two hours later.
Officers were called to the park just before 10 a.m. after reports of a fight, which then escalated into multiple people shooting each other.
Area schools are not in lockdown, and classes are operating as normal, police said.
“Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” police said.
According to local news station WFMY, at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials have not shared their conditions.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and remains under investigation.
This is a developing story
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