Great champions continue to find their way to Waterville – Els, Furyk, O' Meara, Stewart and Woods to prepare for the 1998 British Open which was then won by Mark O' Meara. Prior to the 1999 Open O' Meara, Stewart and Woods were joined by Appleby, Duval and Jansen, all of which became members of Waterville.

Later that year at a ceremony during the now famous Ryder Cup in Brookline Massachusetts, United States team member Payne Stewart accepted the Captaincy of Waterville – the last golf honour he would receive before his tragic death.

Today a life sized bronze statue pays tribute to his Captaincy and his special relationship with Waterville. Ranked 21st in Golf Worlds Top 100.