ATLANTA – Nov. 6, 2004 – Jay Haas has named the recipient of the 2004 Payne Stewart Award. The award was presented at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, site of the Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola.
The award is named for Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, including three major championships. Stewart died the week of The Tour Championship in 1999.
The award was created by the PGA Tour Policy Board to perpetuate Stewart’s memory. It is presented annually to a player sharing Stewart’s respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game’s heritage of charitable support and his professional and meticulous presentation of himself and the sport through his dress and conduct.
“It is an honor to present the 2004 Payne Stewart Award to Jay Haas,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. “Jay is one of the most respected players on the PGA TOUR and has served as a role model, not only to golf fans, but to his peers.
“He has always been able to find the right balance between his family and career, something that Payne also embodied. This has been a rewarding year for Jay, for he has not only excelled on the golf course, but has been able to share his son Bill’s pursuit of playing on the PGA Tour.”
The inaugural Payne Stewart Award was presented in 2000 to Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Ben Crenshaw was the 2001 recipient, Nick Price the honoree in 2002, while last year, Tom Watson was honored with the award.
“Southern Company congratulates Jay Haas on winning this year’s Payne Stewart Award,” said David Ratcliffe, Southern Company’s chairman, president and CEO. “We’re honored to work with the PGA Tour to recognize individuals that mirror the attributes of a true role model on the golf course and in the community.”
Haas has won nine PGA Tour events in his career, but has seen a resurgence in his game over the past two years finishing 15th on the 2003 PGA Tour money list, while currently occupying the 29th position this year.
His strong play over the past couple of seasons has seen him be rewarded as a valuable part of the 2003 United States Presidents Cup team and this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team.
In addition to a sculpture presented to the recipient, the Payne Stewart Award is accompanied by an annual Payne Stewart Award Grant presented by Southern Company. The $300,000 grant will support several initiatives in Stewart’s name and be distributed as follows: $100,000 to Payne and Tracey Stewart’s primary charity, The Stewart Family Foundation; $100,000 in Stewart’s honor to The First Tee facility in Missouri, located at Camp Kanakuk, which is affiliated with the “Kids Across America” program; and $100,000 to a charity designated by Haas.
Haas has been a longtime supporter of charities in the Greenville, S.C., area, raising more than $1 million over the years. After seeing family members battle the effects of diseases such as ALS and Cystic Fibrosis, Haas has enthusiastically supported the ALS Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in an effort to find a cure for these devastating diseases.
The nominating panel for the Payne Stewart Award included the current chairman of the Tour’s Player Advisory Council (Scott McCarron), the chairman of the Tour’s Policy Board (Dick Ferris), the current president of the USGA (Reed K. Mackenzie), the current president of the PGA of America (M.G. Orender), the chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club (William W. “Hootie” Johnson), the current president of the Golf Writers Association of America (Len Shapiro, Washington Post), the current president of the PGA TOUR Tournaments Association (Tom Hartley), and past recipients of the Payne Stewart Award.
The award presentation is made annually during The Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola.
