Happy U.S. Open week! I’ve finished watching the flyovers of each of the 18 holes at Pinehurst #2, which look more interesting than the 2005 and 1999 U.S. Opens thanks to the recent revisions by Coore & Crenshaw.
As I type, I am watching the historic finish by Payne Stewart in 1999, where he made a 25′ putt on the 16th hole for par, a 5′ birdie on the 17th hole, and got up-and-down from 80 yards on the 18th hole for par to defeat Phil Mickelson by one and Tiger Woods by two.
Payne died in a plane crash several months later. His finishing pose from that U.S. Open is memorialized by a statue of his winning first-pump. Equally as notable, however, was that amid the celebration of his 72nd-hole Father’s Day win Payne said to Phil, “You’re going to be a father, and there’s nothing greater in the world. You and Amy are going to make wonderful parents.”
I was a 17-year-old son while watching that 1999 tournament. I am now a 32-year-old husband, father, son, and son-in-law. And I wholeheartedly agree with Payne’s statement. Being a father is an exceptional adventure that fills my days with more love and laughs than I could have ever imagined possible. There are nights when Lindsey and I sit at our dining room table, finishing our meal, and marvel at Harvey walking, climbing, and playing peek-a-boo with us from the living room.
I realize that this is just the beginning, but I will strive to be forever humbled by my role as a husband and father, eternally grateful to have Lindsey, Harvey, Dad, and Dan in my life, and excited for the experiences ahead.