Paul Azinger honored with PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company
In recognition of his character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving, the PGA TOUR presented 12-time PGA TOUR winner Paul Azinger with the PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company, announced on Monday. The TOUR will honor Azinger on Tuesday, August 19, at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in Atlanta in conjunction with the TOUR Championship.
“Paul Azinger is a tremendous selection to be the next recipient of the Payne Stewart Award. Paul is a champion and leader who personifies what it means to be a Payne Stewart Award recipient, purposefully embodying Payne’s values of character, charity and sportsmanship,” said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company. “Paul and Toni are deeply committed to serving their community and continue to do remarkable philanthropic work supporting kids and families in their time of need.”
The Payne Stewart Award is presented annually by the PGA TOUR to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR and World Golf Hall of Fame member, tragically passed away during the week of the 1999 TOUR Championship. Southern Company, the Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, was the TOUR Championship presenting sponsor the year of Stewart’s passing. A year later, the PGA TOUR created the Payne Stewart Award in his honor, and Southern Company has supported the annual presentation since its inception.
The award is accompanied by an annual grant made possible by Southern Company. Since its inception, the PGA TOUR and Southern Company have donated more than $10 million to community-based programs that surround education, health and wellness, access to the game and more. The $500,000 grant supports several initiatives in Stewart’s name and will be distributed this year as follows: $100,000 to Payne and Tracey Stewart’s primary charity, The Stewart Family Foundation; $100,000 in Stewart’s honor to Payne Stewart Memorial, located in Missouri at Kids Across America, which is affiliated with Kanakuk Kamps; and $300,000 to the Azinger Family Compassion Center.
The Azinger Family Compassion Center opened in 2021 on the campus of One More Child. The 12,000-square-foot facility aims to serve vulnerable and struggling families within Manatee County, providing life-changing resources for children and families impacted by hunger, trafficking and financial instability. Over the past year, the Azinger Family Compassion Center for One More Child has distributed nearly $19 million worth of food, clothing, household items and other needed supplies, and supported more than 190 nonprofit partners from the surrounding area.
“To be named the recipient of this award, representing my dearest friend, is one of the proudest moments in my life,” said Azinger. “Payne displayed the ultimate character, sportsmanship and service to others throughout his career. He set the standard for how to represent the game of golf, so to be recognized for this award is truly humbling.”
“We are pleased to add Paul Azinger’s name to the long and illustrious list of those who have received the Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “If there is one person who knows all the positive traits that exemplified Payne Stewart, it’s his close friend, Paul. His values align with the character and charitable pursuits that Payne displayed throughout his career, and it’s only fitting that Paul be honored with this year’s award.”
In addition to its role as the presenting sponsor of the Payne Stewart Award, Southern Company has a longstanding and deep-rooted relationship with the PGA TOUR and the game of golf. The company is a Proud Partner of the season-ending TOUR Championship, the Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR and serves as the Education Patron of First Tee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching life skills through golf, impacting more than 700,000 students annually in 1,400 schools.