Champion who played the game with honour

Sport in shock as American Payne Stewart, the consummate golfer with the trademark 'knickers', dies in plane crash at age of 4

When Payne Stewart set out yesterday from Orlando for Texas, he was heading for the Champions' Club in Houston for this week's US Tour Championship. Stewart, who was killed last night when his private jet crashed in South Dakota, had proved again this season his status as one of the game's true champions by, at the age of 42, winning a second US Open title at Pinehurst in June. The victory had secured one of his main goals of the season, making the US Ryder Cup team for the fifth time.

When Payne Stewart set out yesterday from Orlando for Texas, he was heading for the Champions' Club in Houston for this week's US Tour Championship. Stewart, who was killed last night when his private jet crashed in South Dakota, had proved again this season his status as one of the game's true champions by, at the age of 42, winning a second US Open title at Pinehurst in June. The victory had secured one of his main goals of the season, making the US Ryder Cup team for the fifth time.

Stewart had not played in the previous two matches, both won by the Europeans, and dearly wanted America to regain the Cup. Representing his country meant much to an unashamed patriot but Stewart also knew how to play the game with honour.

While some of his team-mates came under criticism for excessive exuberance and inciting an excitable gallery, Stewart conceded his, by then irrelevant, singles match to Colin Montgomerie on the final green. Throughout the round, Stewart had asked stewards to evict spectators who had abused Montgomerie.

"I was disgusted with some of the heckling that goes on with Colin," Stewart said. "He doesn't deserve it. I don't know if he's got a big bullseye on his back but it is not fair."

Stewart was one of the most recognisable figures in world golf thanks to his plus-twos. Initially, he had a contract with the National Football League to wear the colours of its teams but later he stuck to his trademark knickers for competition. In practice rounds, wearing ordinary slacks, he often went unrecognised. When Michael Jackson was shown round Stewart's former mansion in Orlando as a prospective buyer, the pop star could not place the name until told he was the "golfer with the colourful knickers". "Oh, that guy," Jackson said. "I know who he is."

Born in Springfield, Missouri in 1957, Stewart always enjoyed experiencing tournaments outside America and he became just as popular abroad as at home. After turning professional in 1979, his first victories came two years later at the Malaysian and Indian Opens. He won in Australia the following year before the first of his 11 victories on the US Tour. After one of them, in 1987, Stewart donated his winner's cheque to Florida Hospital Circle of Friends in memory of his father Bill, a golfer himself, who had died two years earlier.

A frequent visitor to Europe, Stewart won the Dutch Open in 1991 and was twice a winner of the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco. His last appearance in Britain was at the Alfred Dunhill Cup three weeks ago. He was due to appear at the American Express World Championship at Valderrama next week.

The American was particularly popular in Ireland and in recent years has based himself, with colleagues such as Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara, in Waterville in preparation for the Open Championship. "I don't know why they have accepted me so much but we have a very good time," Stewart said.

"We get into the pub and get round the piano and I bring out my harmonica and the next thing you know, it's about four o'clock in the morning and time to go home. I think if I ran for mayor in Waterville it would be a landslide." Stewart had recently been made honorary captain of the Waterville club for next year.

Stewart's first major win came at the USPGA Championship in 1989 and was followed two years later by his first US Open title, beating Scott Simpson in a play-off at Hazeltine. Stewart was twice a runner-up, both times to Lee Janzen, in America's National championship before holing an 18-foot putt on the final green at Pinehurst to beat Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson's wife, Amy, was expecting their first child, and, after holing the winning putt, Stewart told the runner-up: "Happy Father's Day. Fatherhood is an exciting time of life." Stewart, who had been dignified in defeat at Olympic Club a year earlier, credited part of the success to his wife, Tracey, who had given him a putting tip the previous evening.

Stewart also leaves a daughter, Chelsea, 14, and a son, Aaron, 10. In August, Stewart said: "I said after the US Open that I wanted to enjoy the victory more than in 1991 and the way I've done is to spend a lot of time with my family. I haven't gone all over the world like I did in '91 chasing the elusive dollar. I've been able to sit back and reflect on quite an accomplishment. I am very proud of myself for what happened at Pinehurst."

Often outspoken, Stewart had mellowed in recent years and become strongly religious. "This walk I am having in Christianity is being led by my children," Stewart explained. "They go to a very good Christian school and with that I've met a lot of really nice people at a Baptist church in Orlando. I've been going to Sunday school and meeting people from all walks of life. We all have something in common: Jesus Christ."

Bernard Gallacher, the former European Ryder Cup captain, said: "Payne was a fierce competitor and a colourful character. This is a very sad moment for golf."

Jose Maria Olazabal, who as Masters champion was due to play Stewart in the Grand Slam of Golf, featuring all four of this season's major winners, in Hawaii next month, said: "I have no words to express how I feel right now.

"I played with Payne quite a few times and I always enjoyed his company. He was a sportsman on the course and a gentleman off it. We all knew what the Ryder Cup meant to him, but he never lost perspective on what the match was all about."

PAYNE STEWART 1957-1999

1957: Born Springfield, Missouri, on 30 January 1957.

1979: Graduated from Southern Methodist University, majoring in Business, and turns professional same year.

1981: Wins Indonesian Open, Indian Open.

1982: Wins Miller High Life Quad Cities Open in US and Coolangatta-Tweed Head Classic in Australia.

1983: Wins Disney World Golf Classic.

1987: Wins Hertz Bay Hill Classic and donates winner's cheque to Florida Hospital Circle of Friends in memory of father, who died two years earlier. Makes debut in US Ryder Cup team which was beaten for the first time on home soil by Europe at Muirfield Village, Columbus, Ohio. Represents US in World Cup.

1989: Wins first Major at USPGA Championship. Wins MCI Heritage Golf Classic. Second appearance as member of US Ryder Cup team at The Belfry. Match tied so Europe retained Cup.

1990: Wins MCI Heritage Golf Classic, GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic. Represents US in World Cup. Shoots career low round of 61 in Oldsmobile Classic.

1991: Wins US Open for the first time after play-off against Scott Simpson at Hazeltine National. Wins Heineken Dutch Open. Third appearance in US Ryder Cup team at Kiawah Island. Stewart tastes US success for first time.

1993: Fourth Ryder Cup cap at The Belfry, where US defeat Europe.

1995: Wins Shell Houston Open.

1998: Runner-up to Lee Janzen in US Open at Olympic Club, San Francisco, California.

1999: Wins second US Open Championship at Pinehurst, North Carolina, holing 15-foot putt on the final green to beat fellow American Phil Mickelson. Wins AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Member of victorious American team which defeated Europe at Brookline, Boston, to win back the Ryder Cup. Dies Mina, South Dakota, 25 October.