After graduation , he moved to the Chicago area and began designing golf courses for several firms . In 1989 , Borland opened his own design firm , ProDesign , just a year later he was offered a design position with Jack Nicklaus at Golden Bear International . Borland worked on many of the famous Jack Nicklaus " Signature " golf courses , as well as other stateside and Indonesian courses . In 1999 , Borland was killed in a Learjet 35 with Payne Stewart while flying from Orlando , Florida , to Dallas , Texas before the Tour Championship . He died of hypoxia , a lack of oxygen , before the plane crashed
was killed in a Learjet 35
1999 South Dakota Learjet crash
Bruce Borland