FanHouse Payne Stewart

Every sports fan has a little bit of a photographic memory. They remember images of their favorite players or incredible moments. The Joe Carter home run leap. The concluding seconds of the Miracle on Ice. Michael Jordan's final shot against the Jazz in 1997.

In golf, one year stands out for images that will forever be burned in our skull. That year was ten years ago, in 1999. You had the David Duval eagle putt for 59 drop as his yellow Tommy Hilfiger shirt came untucked and a rare first pump ensued. Sergio Garcia closing his eyes to hit a shot from behind a tree at Medinah, only to run down the fairway as it somehow found its way on the putting surface, scissor kick and all. Payne Stewart's statuesque image when the winning putt dropped at Pinehurst. Jean Van de Velde, hands on his hips, standing in the Barry Burn at Carnoustie, pants rolled up, making the most famous triple-bogey in the history of golf. Any and all images from that Sunday at Brookline, when the Americans stormed back to beat the Europeans at the Ryder Cup.

GolfChannel.com decided to put all these in writing in something they're calling "Project '99", and had some of their most talented voices jot down what they remembered from the event personally. Rich Lerner, who has been with The Golf Channel since 1997, chatted with FanHouse about the Van de Velde collapse, amongst other things. Click away for a little trip back in time.

In the past 20 years, golf has a small number of images that have burned themselves deep into our brains. Greg Norman hitting his knees on Sunday at the Masters in 1996. A year later, Tiger Woods winning his first major championship and embracing his father, Earl, with such power and love that it made non-golf fans tear up. Payne Stewart, needing to hole a putt on the 18th green at Pinehurst, rolling it in and extending out on one foot, hand in the air, a memory lasting forever.

On Sunday, it will be 10 years since Stewart died tragically in an airplane crash, exactly four months and two days after that putt dropped at the U.S. Open. It was a moment that rocked the golf world, but gave everyone a chance to remember just how special Payne was to the PGA Tour. A religious man, Stewart wore a WWJD (What What Jesus Do) bracelet on his wrist that Sunday at Pinehurst, and, in typical Payne fashion, grabbed Phil Mickelson, who finished second that day, moments after the winning putt dropped and told him, "You're going to be a father," helping to ease the pain of defeat.

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At Turnberry, the weekend was missing the world's two best golfers. Tiger Woods wasn't around on Saturday and Sunday because of poor golf. Phil Mickelson was missing out for another reason -- his family. Now, with wife Amy apparently doing well after breast cancer surgery, Lefty has committed to the PGA Championship, his second tournament in a row after word spread he committed to the WGC-Bridgestone next week in Akron, Ohio.

According to the Associated Press, officials have confirmed that Phil will be in the field, only his second tournament in two months, and was out at Hazeltine National on Wednesday playing a practice round to get ready for the event.

Like the Michael Jordan jumper against the Utah Jazz in 1998, there is a lasting memory in the golf world from the late 90's that would be tough to push out of any fan's memory.

The 18th hole ... U.S. Open ... 15-footer for par and the victory ... putt is stroked ... it's heading to the hole ... one arm outstretched, one foot off the ground ... and ... one final championship for one of the nicest guys to ever play the game.

Payne Stewart's legacy at Pinehurst No. 2, the site of his second U.S. Open that came four months before he died in a plane crash, is one that will always be around. This week, at the North and South Amateur, Payne's son Aaron Stewart will be continuing the legacy on those turtle-backed greens, hoping to follow in his father's infamous footsteps.

Next Sunday, when the U.S. Open is wrapping up and you are dying to see a little more of the course that gave the pros fits for four straight days? Well, you're in luck, because in 2014, Pinehurst No. 2, the course made famous by its turtleback greens and the Payne Stewart leap, will host both the men's and women's U.S. Open in back-to-back weeks.

The USGA will play the 2014 men's and women's U.S. Opens on consecutive weeks at Pinehurst No. 2, assuming that one final, expected approval is given to the plan on Monday morning. The U.S. Open will take place on June 12-15 and the U.S. Women's Open will follow on June 19-22.

The arrangement, a first for the two events, arose when negotiations for Pebble Beach Golf Links to host the 2014 women's Open fell through. Pebble Beach will host the 2012 U.S. Open, and the club felt as though it needed more separation between the two tournaments.

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

Mickelson Toughs It Out -- You don't usually see "tough" and "Phil Mickelson" in the same sentence. His lone shining moment under pressure was at the 2004 Masters, when he rolled in a birdie putt on the last hole for his first major championship. Otherwise, he has never been that dominant in the high stress environment of the Ryder Cup, and his additional attempts at "clutch" have ended with "fore left" at Winged Foot and final-hole major losses to David Toms (2001 PGA Championship) and Payne Stewart (1999 U.S. Open).

Well, on Sunday, at a tournament he had never won, on a golf course he had never conquered, Mickelson had to be tough. And tough he was.

The PGA suffered a similarly embarrassing fate to NASCAR today, when the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was canceled to due to inclement weather conditions.

As a result, Dustin Johnson, the leader through 54 holes, was handed a big, shiny trophy, a hefty paycheck, and a free ticket to the 2009 Masters. The tournament's final round was originally postponed to Monday, but the rain picked up again this morning and forced Tour officials to cancel the final round.

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action, with a little commentary mixed in. We'll focus on what you may have missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

Phil Mickelson Struggles Again -- There is no reason to get totally riled up and make the assumption that Mickelson has gone the way of Ernie Els. Mickelson is still ranked fourth in the world and is a threat to catch fire and burn up future installments of this column. But the idea still has to be brought up: Phil Mickelson could be losing his luster.