The Last Stand of Payne Stewart

The Year Golf Changed Forever

By: Kevin Robbins

Narrated by: Henry Leyva

From award-winning sports writer Kevin Robbins, discover the story of legendary golfer Payne Stewart, focusing on his last year in the PGA Tour in 1999, which tragically culminated in a fatal air disaster that transpired publicly on televisions across the country.
Forever remembered as one of the most dramatic storylines in the history of golf, Payne Stewart's legendary career was bookended by a dramatic comeback and a shocking, tragic end. Here, Robbins brings Stewart's story vividly to life.
Written off as a pompous showman past the prime of his career, Stewart emerged from a long slump in the unforgettable season of 1999 to capture the U.S. Open and play on the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. He appeared to be a new man that summer: wiser, deeper, and on the verge of a new level of greatness. Then his journey to redemption ended in October, when his chartered Learjet flew aimlessly for more than a thousand miles, ran out of fuel, and fell to earth in a prairie in South Dakota.
His death marked the end of an era, one made up of "shotmakers" who played the game with artistry, guile, finesse, and heart. Behind them were Tiger Woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, and other young players whose power and strength changed the PGA Tour forever. With exclusive access to Stewart's friends, family, and onetime colleagues, Kevin Robbins provides a long-overdue portrait of one of golf's greats in one of golf's greatest seasons.
Winner of the USGA Herbert Warren Wind Book Award

Critic reviews

"Payne Stewart was the last of golf's great swingers. In The Last Stand, Kevin Robbins has captured the man's game and style and too-short life for eternity."—Michael Bamberger, author of Men in Green

"Robbins delves convincingly into the agonizing nitty-gritty of what it takes to miss one less fairway per round, convert one more up-and-down and make one more crucial putt-the tiny improvements that spell the difference between winning a tournament and finishing in the middle of the pack."—The Wall Street Journal

"Riveting and heartbreaking...Focus[ing] on the final year of Stewart's life while expertly weaving in biographical details...Robbins provides both highly detailed and memorable accounts of Stewart's tournaments...Powerful...This excellent biography is sure to please many a golf aficionado."—Publishers Weekly

"Few public men have been more obviously flawed than brash, big-mouthed, attention-seeking Payne Stewart, and a slew of his contemporaries might seem better qualified to embody that era. Yet Kevin Robbins has pulled off the impossible: By charting Stewart's herky-jerk walk from brattishness to humility, while illuminating his play as the last-gasp of a golf now gone forever, he has revealed in his subject a largeness, a grace, that even Stewart never dreamed he had. So buy in -- and buckle up. Robbins' meticulously-reported work on Stewart's last hours stands as some of the finest writing on flight -- both its beauty and horrors -- published in years."—S.L. Price, Sports Illustrated senior writer and author of Playing Through the Whistle: Steel, Football, and An American Town

"Kevin Robbins knows golf, and he has brought energy and verve to the task of unraveling Payne Stewart's enigmatic life. This is a wise and beautifully written book about the inner life and journey of a gifted athlete."—Wil Haygood, author of The Butler

"Compelling and well told."—Booklist

"Around Payne Stewart's life, and death, mystique has grown. Kevin Robbins makes it all so lucid and real. There's brilliant reporting here, great humanity, and writing as memorably stylish as Stewart's famed plus fours. Reading this, the gallery will roar."—Gary M. Pomerantz, author, The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End

Wonderfully told story of life, golf and redemption

Kevin Robbins does a beautiful job providing insights into the life and times of Payne Stewart. As a golf lover of the same vintage, I would highly suggest this book to anyone who has ever played the game. Well done.

Must Read for golf fans!

totally enjoyed this story of Payne Stewart and his life in the game of golf. into in 20 years the plane crash has become a staple on "aircraft disasters" but it was much more interesting to hear about the man's life.

Great story.

This was a great book that shows you all sides of Payne Stewart. His life being cut short was a real tragedy.

Wonderful

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Payne Stewart’s amazing journey as a golfer and a man is brought to life in this beautiful tribute. Narration was excellent too.

John P

This book is simply a treasure.
One of my favorite biographies and sports books all in one.
It’s a must-listen for anyone who loves golf and a great biography.
Masterfully written with specific details and back stories that bring the life of Payne Stewart and his era of golf to life.
While still a tragedy, it leaves the listener filled with joy and peace pondering the story of a life well lived.
Highly recommended.