The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday morning that Hale Irwin will be the 2019 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award. The award, named after Payne Stewart, is given to the golfer that who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity, and sportsmanship.
“When Tracey told me that I would be the 2019 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, I was honestly surprised yet overcome with emotion and pride when thinking of Payne, the honor of this Award which bears his name and the many deserving players who have earned it before me,” Hale Irwin said. “Payne was a friend and a tremendous champion of our game, but more than that, he was committed to leaving a remarkable impact through golf which is still felt today. You could call him at any time and he would help immediately with whatever was needed, and I know he was that way with everyone he encountered. He is missed each day by all of us on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and I am humbled to represent his character and passion with this Award.”
In addition to the award itself, the honor includes charitable donations. From the release:
In addition to a sculpture by Bob Pack presented to the recipient, the Payne Stewart Award is accompanied by an annual Payne Stewart Award Grant made possible by Southern Company. The $500,000 grant supports several initiatives in Stewart’s name and is distributed as follows: $100,000 to Payne and Tracey Stewart’s primary charity, The Stewart Family Foundation; $100,000 in Stewart’s honor to Payne Stewart Memorial, located in Missouri at Kids Across America, which is affiliated with Kanakuk Kamps; and $300,000 to a charity designated by the winner. Irwin has chosen to designate the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute) and Folds of Honor.
Irwin is the 22nd recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, joining a group of respected golfers including Bernhard Langer, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Peter Jacobsen, Steve Stricker, David Toms, Tom Lehman, Kenny Perry, Davis Love III, Hal Sutton, Gary Player, Brad Faxon, Jay Haas, Tom Watson, Nick Price, and Ben Crenshaw.
The award will be officially presented to Irwin on August 20th during the Tour Championship. The presentation will air live on Golf Channel at 7pm ET.
