Golf’s Most Famous Statue Being Moved For Next Week’s US Open At Pinehurst

There is no question that it is the most famous monument in golf. The Payne Stewart statue at Pinehurst is a must see, a must pose with for every visitor to the storied North Carolina Sandhills golf destination. And now, with the US Open heading back to the resort's famed No. 2 course next week, it is being moved.

Twenty-five years ago this week, the US Open was contested on Pinehurst No. 2 for the first time. The championship came down to one final putt from Payne Stewart. If he made, he wins. If he misses, there's an 18-hole playoff with Phil Mickelson the next morning.

He made it and struck the celebratory pose you see in the YouTube video thumbnail above. Tragically, the golf world would lose Payne Stewart to a plane crash just a few months later. In celebration of his life and in tribute to his amazing victory, Pinehurst commissioned a statue of the pose that has stood behind the 18th green ever since.

Alex Podlogar, Pinehurst Resort and Country Club Social Media Relations Manager explains to WRAL, “There’s never really a time in Pinehurst since 1999 when you don’t feel the spirit of Payne Stewart. Every Sunday, the hole location on the 18th hole of No. 2 is placed in the spot that Payne made so famous in 1999, and many golfers playing No. 2 on a Sunday get a chance to see the spot and try the putt that’s become timeless over the years. “ Not only do golfers relish the chance to try the putt, but EVERYONE always stops to pose with Payne.

The statue sits directly behind the 18th green of Pinehurst No. 2. This is WAYYYY too populated a place during next week's US Open Championship to have patrons enjoy and pose with it. Therefore, the resort has moved the statue to the front of the resort for the duration of the event. It will be moved back to its usual spot after next week.

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