Payne Stewart's son named tournament director of LPGA Tour event

The son of late great Payne Stewart has been named tournament director of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on the LPGA Tour.

Aaron Stewart, son of three-time major champion Payne Stewart, will run the LPGA's seaason opener at Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida from January 16 to 19.

The tournament comprises two events in one - 72 holes of strokeplay for LPGA winners the last two seasons, and celebrities competing in a Stableford competition.

"I'm really excited to be with the tournament side of things, back in the golf industry," Stewart said. "And I'm still with the company I grew up with."

The 20-year anniversary of his father's death will be Oct. 25. Payne Stewart, the reigning US Open champion, was traveling to Texas when the jet lost cabin pressure and flew uncontrolled across the country until crashing in South Dakota.

His son was 10.

"I didn't play as much then. I was more into other sports," Aaron Stewart said. "I'd always go out to the golf course, and I was around my dad when he was practicing. I was more into the golf cart, driving that around."

He started playing seriously a few years later and decided if he was going to be good, he would have to put in the time. He went to SMU, his father's alma mater, with every intention of trying to make it to the next level.

"I ended up going a different route," Stewart said. "I didn't have the desire to play professionally. I was a little burned out, to be honest."