Payne Stewart rolled in a 15-foot uphill putt for par on the final hole Sunday to defeat Phil Mickelson by one shot and capture the 99th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Stewart, the '91 U.S. Open champ and '93 and '98 runner-up, had struggled emotionally after losing a four-shot lead on Sunday of last year's Open, eventually losing to Lee Janzen. Sunday, Stewart was stoic down the stretch. On the 18th, Stewart appeared headed for heartache again when he drove into the right rough and left his approach short of the green. He pitched to within 15 feet and then rolled in the dramatic winning putt.

Payne Stewart once again is the U.S. Open champion, and Alister Nicol, golf.com columnist, observes there's a very real probability that Stewart could also win the upcoming British Open and PGA championships before the century's end, a golf triple crown that spans an ocean. Here, Stewart, at left, shakes hands with Phil Mickelson.

Oh, baby, this could
have been some playoff

If Payne Stewart's 15-foot uphill putt had missed the mark on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open, Monday would have been a compelling drama. There would have been an 18-hole between Stewart and Phil Mickelson and the latter would have been racing against the clock. Mickelson's wife, Amy, shown with Phil at the Masters, went into labor about the same time Phil would have been teeing off. By late Monday, Stewart had the Championship Cup he was so focused on all week, while Mickelson had something more precious -- a baby girl.

Pinehurst No. 2:
Ross's architectural gem

The year 1900 was a pivotal one in golf, writes golf.com architecture columnist John Gordon. It's the year that soda fountain magnate John Walker Tufts contacted a talented golf architect to shape 5,500 acres in North Carolina. Donald Ross said yes and Pinehurst No. 2 came to fruition.

Big-time play, small-time pay

When a clown is the presenting sponsor for an LPGA major, it's a little hard to take the tournament seriously, writes golf.com columnist Leonard Shapiro. But the LPGA can use all the help it can get these days, as prize money pales in comparison to what is being doled out on the PGA Tour. Juli Inkster's $315,000 check for winning the U.S. Women's Open was roughly half of what Payne Stewart was paid for winning Sunday's men's Open. Read on. ...

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