Steve Stricker recipient of 2012 Payne Stewart Award
12 time winner on the PGA Tour, Steve Stricker has been awarded with Payne Stewart Award. This award is given to those who uphold the traditions of the game through their conduct on and off the course.
Steve is known for his excellent sportsmanship and conduct, both, on and off the field.
"For years, Steve Stricker has epitomised everything that the Payne Stewart Award represents," said the Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem.
Finchem also added that Stricker’s professionalism on the golf course made him the best choice for the Payne Stewart Award.
Stricker, on the eve of Tour Championship, said that it has been an honour to receive this award. Steve never thought he was worthy of this award and he felt that he is extremely blessed and fortunate to receive it.
"Golf obviously means a lot to me. I've tried to conduct myself over the years ... to set an example, lead down the proper road, lead by example, and Payne did that,” said the 12-time PGA Tour winner, at East Lake.
"The guys that have won this award prior to me have done that. Those guys stand for what Payne was and what kind of person and what kind of player he was".
Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price, Tom Watson, Jay Haas, Brad Faxon, Gary Player, Hal Sutton, Davis Love III, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman and David Toms have been honoured with Payne Stewart Award earlier on.
Stewart was a three-time major winner and apart from that, he won 11 times on the PGA Tour. He died in a plane crash in 1999.
Steve could not have received this award at a more suitable time. Receiving the award just before the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup, will lift the morale of the American.
The world number ten has only won once this season. He will be looking to win his second tournament and the FedEx Cup this year at East Lake.
Stricker will also be part of USA Ryder Cup team, which is looking to end European dominance over this tournament, in Chicago.
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