Payne Stewart’s Enduring Legacy And Giving Spirit Starts New Chapter

Over the years, myriad tributes have celebrated the legacy of the late, great Payne Stewart—a three-time major champion renowned for his throwback golf threads, captivating showmanship, philanthropy, and tremendous sportsmanship.

Probably the most iconic is the bronze statue of a jubilant Stewart celebrating his 1999 U.S. Open victory. The life-sized likeness, a selfie hotspot perched 50 yards from the 18th green of Pinehurst No. 2 where the event returns next year. It depicts the colorful and consummate competitor falling forward with his right fist pumping towards the heavens and his right leg curled and kicking skyward. The pose was struck after dropping a clutch 15 footer on the 72^nd hole of the tournament to seal the deal and best Phil Mickelson by a stroke.

With the buildup to the silver anniversary of that epic pro golf moment already underway, a Pro-Celebrity-Am benefitting the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation seeks to add a new chapter to Stewart’s enduring legacy. The foundation provides educational golf experiences for underprivileged children through partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, PHIT America, YMCA centers and church programs.

Kelly McCammon, founder of the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation enlisted MF Entertainment to put together the inaugural Payne Stewart Invitational. The firm’s track record is highlighted by pro-level tour events like the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions (now known as the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions) and the PGA Tour Champions’ Invited Celebrity Classic which have collectively raised $5 million for children’s charities.

Mike Flaskey, the CEO of MF Entertainment, resides in Orlando and has had a close relationship with the Stewart family for a number of years.

“I hired Aaron, Payne’s son, right out of SMU when I was the CEO of Diamond Resorts and he was involved in many different facets of the company. When I sold the company to Hilton Grand Vacations in 2021, Aaron moved over and he is now vice president of sports and entertainment,” Flaskey explained.

When Flaskey reached out to the Floridian National Golf Club, owned by shipping magnate Jim Crane, who also heads the Houston Astros ownership group and boasts a membership that includes former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush about hosting the event, he was told they had really only hosted one other non-member event in the history of the club. That was for Reggie Jackson who works in the Astros front office but it was learning about the cause that got them onboard.

“Once they heard about the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation, and what the fundraising aspect of this was, and what the money was going towards in helping underprivileged minority children between the ages of 3-9 learn the game of golf who would otherwise not be exposed to the game, they thought it was a tremendous opportunity for the club to be involved,” Flaskey said.

Twenty-two foursomes will compete in the event with seven of those teams earmarked to presenting sponsors. The remaining 15 team slots allocated to individuals are already spoken for, with a waiting list a dozen deep should there be any cancellations.

When prospective participants consider playing in a pro-am style event like this, undoubtedly the venue plays almost as large a role as the cause itself and landing the Floridian, with its aforementioned impressive membership roll, was critical in garnering interest.

Asked about the possibility of a former occupant of the oval office catching the action, Flaskey had this to say: “You never know. Both of them would certainly be welcome. I can tell you the Invited Celebrity Classic, held in Dallas at Las Colinas Country Club where President Bush’s Wounded Warrior Foundation always hosted their events and we had a history of allowing their past winners to play in that event.

I think both presidents would find this charity great and one of the reasons we decided at MF Entertainment that this was the right event for us is that there really are no politics involved here, this is something that everyone can get behind whether you are Democrat, an Independent or a Republican.

When you are trying to help underprivileged, minority children learn the game of golf through scholarships, equipment and curriculum that they wouldn’t ordinarily have access to—I can’t think of anybody that wouldn’t want to support that,” Flaskey said.

Pro golfers and entertainers will each join an amatuer foursome after an NFL style draft dinner party the evening preceding the competition followed by a headline concert in the clubhouse. In addition to the entertainment a silent and live auction component with big ticket experience-based lots for attendees to bid on will be a big part of the fundraising equation.Then the actual tournament itself will take place, with low net and low gross scores tabulated on each hole and a winner in both categories crowned at the post round awards party.

MF Entertainment will draw on their prior celebrity golf event experience to attract A-listers but the gameplan also is to reach out to the recipients of the PGA Tour’s Payne Stewart Award, presented annually by the Southern Company since 2000. The first set of invitations will go out to that list of illustrious 24 winners that includes the likes of Jim Furyk, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Justin Rose. Organizers anticipate a good number of honorees will choose to participate.

The Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation is currently running a three-year capital campaign with the ambitious objective of raising $10 million by 2024. This funding will support their mission of expanding their golf learning program to reach even more children.

Flaskey is confident the charitable impact of the inaugural invitational will be significant but remarked that making a projection ahead of the sponsorship outreach that will take place in the coming weeks would be premature. He would allow that raising a quarter of a million dollars after expenses would be considered a success. His optimism extends to the possibility of achieving three-fold that tally which would approach the impressive figure raised during the first year of the Diamond Resorts event.