Columnist Peter Benton: Stewart award goes to Haas for 2004 work with charities

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004 | 10:19 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

This year's Payne Stewart Award was unanimously awarded to the ageless Jay Haas who competed on both the PGA and Champions Tours in 2004.

The award is named for Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, who counted three major championships among those victories. Stewart, one of the most popular and gregarious players on Tour, tragically died in a plane accident five years ago, the week of the recent Tour Championship.

Presented annually, the PGA Tour Policy Board created this award to perpetuate Stewart's memory, and it is awarded to a player sharing Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game's heritage of charitable support, along with his professional and meticulous presentation to the sport through both dress and conduct.

The Payne Stewart Award is accompanied by the annual Payne Stewart Award Grant presented by Southern Company. This $300,000 grant will support several initiatives in Stewart's name and be distributed as follows:

Haas, a longtime supporter of Greenville, S.C., area charities, has raised more than $1 million over the years. After seeing family members battle the effects of diseases such as ALS and cystic fibrosis, he has enthusiastically supported both causes in an effort to find a cure for these devastating diseases.

Although winless this season, Haas picked up more than $2 million in official earnings on the PGA Tour, and in his rookie season on the Champions Tour he won $541,920 from his three starts.

However, it did not seem to deter the avid golfers who showed up to climax the four-day Odyssey festivities which benefitted three charities: Keep Memories Alive, an Alzheimer's assisted organization; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, devoted to assisting the families with missing family members, and the Odyssey Lifestyle Le Cordon Bleu Education Program which is a scholarship for aspiring chefs.

Placing first in the 18-hole shamble event was the team led by Chef Scott McCarter, (3950 Restaurant,) along with Peter Thigpen, Rob George and Danny George. Treasure Island Chef, Marc Getman, and his partners Chris Pricket, Rick Lewis and Larry May placed second.

Chinois Chef Terence Fong, garnered closest-to-the-pin honors and Joey Vassallo won the putting contest. In the long driving competition Betsy Fretwell prevailed for the ladies and Danny George outdistanced all other competitors for the men's bragging rights.