Payne Stewart remembered by USA Team

Payne Stewart's presence is still with the United States Ryder Cup team, nearly five years after his death.

Stewart died in a plane crash in 1999, but his memory lives on in the American team room at Oakland Hills.

Captain Hal Sutton brought with him a picture of Stewart, Sutton and David Duval celebrating their 1999 Ryder Cup victory from a balcony at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

It hangs as an homage to the fiery competitor and well-liked teammate who so relished Ryder Cup play.

``I felt like everybody needed to remember Payne,'' Sutton said Wednesday. ``He has a prominent spot in our team room this week.''

The picture was the first thing Davis Love III saw when he walked into the room this week.

``Every time we play one of these we think about him,'' Love said, ``because he should have been captain, he should have played on another couple teams.''

Stewart, who had an 8-9-2 record in five Ryder Cups, died a month after his U.S. team rallied for the improbable win at Brookline.

Now the event is back on U.S. soil for the first time since Stewart's death.

Stewart's mantle as a practical jokester and comic relief seems to have fallen to rookie Chris Riley, who has kept things light with his youthful exuberance.

But Love said no one can replace Stewart.

``He is missed in the team room, he's missed as a competitor,'' said Love, who was paired with Stewart in the morning foursomes at Brookline. ``He was a bright spot ... We don't have enough Payne Stewart, Chris Riley-type players out there.''