Now It’s Paynehurst

Neither rain nor gloom nor a slippery putt on a wet green kept Payne Stewart from his appointed round Sunday at Pinehurst, where he won the U.S. Open for a second time and finally, gratefully, washed away any leftover memories of a year-old missed chance.

There is much more to Stewart than a jaunty cap and plus-fours and more to his legacy as a golfer than what happened to him last year when he lost a four-shot lead on the final day of the U.S. Open and was defeated by one shot.

Trailing Phil Mickelson by one shot with three holes to go, tied with two holes to go and one ahead as they began the last hole at Donald Ross’ masterpiece, Stewart gently guided a 15-foot putt into the hole to save par, revive his reputation, avoid a playoff and lay claim to a U.S Open trophy to match the one he won in 1991 at Hazeltine.

“I can’t describe it,” said Stewart, who tried anyway.

“Everything just bubbles inside you and all of a sudden, it’s over. You did it. I did it again.

“I said to myself, ‘You’ve always wanted a putt to win the U.S. Open--and you got it right now.’ ”

He did, indeed. So from 15 feet, Stewart’s golf ball began its history-making journey.

“Lo and behold,” Stewart said. “It went in.”

Mickelson, who already had made his par, could only stand there with a bemused smile, rain puddling on his visor, and watch the ball roll uphill, curve slightly left to right and disappear in the hole.

Stewart pumped his fist twice, hugged his caddie and contemplated all he had done right since his disappointing loss to Lee Janzen at the Olympic Club.

“I learned a lot last year,” Stewart said. “I learned to deal. I didn’t figure to be the gallery’s champion; everybody cheering for Phil or Tiger or David, I knew that would be the scenario.

“I just had to go out and be Payne Stewart. And it was good enough. I dealt with everything today and that’s why I’m so proud of myself.”

Stewart’s round of par 70 meant he finished at one-under 279 and was the only player in the field to shoot below par.

Mickelson’s final round of 70 and 280 total was one shot better than Tiger Woods, who had a 70, and Vijay Singh, who closed with a 69. Woods might have forced a playoff, but he missed a two-foot par putt at No. 11 and a four-foot putt for par at No. 17.

Singh, the PGA champion, produced one of only two Sunday rounds under par.

The lead changed three times beginning at the 12th hole, but Stewart took it for his own the last time at No. 17. That’s where coaxed his ball into the hole from three feet away for birdie and where Mickelson had to settle for par after he missed an eight-footer slightly to the right.

And yet the key hole was the 16th, where Mickelson made bogey and Stewart somehow coaxed a 25-foot putt into the hole to save par. It was the only bogey Mickelson made all day.

At least Mickelson could appreciate good putts when he sees them. “Those putts Payne Stewart made on No. 16 and No. 18 showed what a great champion he is,” he said.

Said Stewart: “Maybe somebody will give me credit for being able to putt.”

Of course, there is also his flair for the dramatic. As he stood on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead, Stewart could not have known that there was only birdie on the last hole Sunday--by Colin Montgomerie. Stewart probably would have been safe by making par, but he got into trouble immediately when he drove into the rough.

Stewart was still 77 yards from the hole after his second shot and 15 feet below the hole after his third. Mickelson, meanwhile, was safely on the green in two, made his par with two putts from 30 feet and half-expected to see Stewart two-putt for bogey, which would mean an 18-hole playoff today.

“I felt like I was so close,” Mickelson said. “I felt like I played well enough to win the U.S. Open, but Payne Stewart played better. I felt like all day long if I could stay around par, just keep it in play, I felt like I would have an opportunity to win.”

Stewart began the day with a one-shot lead and made sure it didn’t get any smaller by the turn when he managed to save par at the tricky par-three ninth hole. Stewart, who bogeyed the hole Friday and Saturday, hit an iron into a bunker, but came out to six feet and made the putt to stay one shot ahead of Mickelson.

One hole later, Stewart’s lead was gone. His third shot caught in the fringe by a bunker, where he stood in the sand, chipped to six feet and missed the putt for bogey. Mickelson made his putt to get even.

Woods three-putted No. 11, where he missed his short par putt, and dropped three shots behind Mickelson and Stewart as light rain continued to fall. But Woods wasn’t finished. He birdied the 14th and then the 16th to get back to even par for the tournament, the same as Mickelson and just one shot behind Stewart.

But after hitting his tee shot into a bunker on the par-three 17th, Woods missed his par putt from eight feet and dropped two shots back at one over.

“Unfortunately, I just hit it too hard,” he said. “I hung in there with my short game and I did everything I possibly could to hang in there and give myself a chance.”

Steve Stricker finished fifth after his 73 and Tim Herron was sixth with a 75. David Duval, who began the day three shots off the lead, could do no better than a 75 and finished tied for seventh with Hal Sutton and Jeff Maggert.

Duval, who played the last 36 holes in 10 over par, was asked how disappointing the outcome was.

“Probably more than you can imagine,” he said.

For Stewart, 42, the rewards are as great as anyone can imagine. His two U.S. Open victories and his 1989 PGA championship move Stewart into a higher status in golf’s hierarchy. He becomes one of only five active non-senior players with at least three major championships, joining Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Nick Price.

Stewart’s 11th PGA Tour victory was worth $625,000 and increased his 1999 earnings to $1.86 million--the most he has earned in a single season.

And as a bonus, he doesn’t have to think about last year and the Olympic Club and the U.S. Open and what happened ever again.

“About last year, there’s nothing worse than a gracious loser,” Stewart said.

He doesn’t have to worry about that any more.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

U.S. OPEN

FINISH LINE

THE LEADERS

*

PAYNE STEWART

279 (-1)

$625,000

68-69-72-70

*

PHIL MICKELSON

280 (E)

$370,000

67-70-73-70

*

TIGER WOODS

281 (+1)

$196,792

68-71-72-70

*

VIJAY SINGH

281 (+1)

$196,792

69-70-73-69

*

STEVE STRICKER

285 (+5)

$130,655

70-73-69-73

MULTIPLE WINNERS

4

Willie Anderson

Bobby Jones

Ben Hogan

Jack Nicklaus

*

3

Hale Irwin

*

2

Alex Amith

John McDermott

Walter Hagen

Gene Sarazen

Ralph Guldahl

Cary Middlecoff

Julius Boros

Billy Casper

Lee Trevino

Andy North

Curtis Strange

Ernie Els

Lee Janzen

Payne Stewart