ESPN.com - Golf Online - US Open Men 2000 - Garcia pays fashion tribute to Stewart

Associated Press
Thursday, June 15

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- A day after breaking down in tears at a poignant ceremony for the late Payne Stewart, Sergio Garcia wore navy knickers in Stewart's honor Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Open.

Stewart, whose knickers were a personal trademark, died in a plane crash four months after winning the 1999 Open. His absence has left a huge emotional void at the 100th Open, which opened on a sunny, serene day along the Pacific coast.

On the eve of the Open, some 40 of Stewart's peers splashed balls into the ocean in a golfing version of a 21-gun salute.

Stewart's widow, Tracey, choked back tears while addressing the players and thousands of fans who attended the morning tribute on the 18th green.

At an Open marking Jack Nicklaus' farewell to a tournament he has won four times, a constant stream of visitors lingered at a glass case memorializing the defending champion.

At a spot called Payne's Place in the middle of the U.S. Open village, fans paraded past a display honoring Stewart's dramatic win in the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, N.C.

The display holds the outfit Stewart wore on the final day of that tournament, which he won by sinking a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole, as well as his gloves and final ball -- both of which he signed.