Notah Begay III, right, works with Trent Mansfield, 14, during a kids clinic at the FIrst Tee of Chattanooga. Begay is playing in the Children's Hospital Classic and an advocate of children's health.
Staff photo by David Uchiyama
Notah Begay III walked along the range at the First Tee of Chattanooga practice facility Sunday.
He stopped to spend time with each child -- ranging in age from 6 to 16 -- and provide a few pointers on their swings.
Begay encouraged the youngest ones to keep their eyes on the ball and just hit it. He taught 14-year-old Trent Mansfield a drill to improve his swing by using two horizontal tees.
Kids and parents posed for pictures with the most successful American Indian golfer -- perhaps the most successful American Indian professional athlete -- of the last 15 years.
"I'd put his poster up in my son's room," said Mansfield's mother, Lynn. "He seems night and day different from Tiger."
Yet Begay and Tiger Woods were roommates at Stanford University and remain close.
The Children's Hospital Classic granted Begay a sponsor's exemption in the tournament that begins Thursday at Black Creek Club. The exemption was based on Begay's golf resume and his charity work with children through the NB3 Foundation, which follows the lines of the CHC mission.
"The cornerstone of our cause is heightened awareness about preventative health care," said Begay, whose mother is of Pueblo heritage and whose father is Navajo. "Many of the diseases our children face later in life can be prevented.
"I talk to kids not only about golf and leadership but nutrition and health, and being just as important as getting good grades. All will benefit them long in life."
Conducting youth clinics is important to Begay. He enjoys passing his knowledge of the game to younger generations. That is similar to elders passing along Navajo or Pueblo tradition -- it's important for this generation, the next and on down the line of heritage.
"I remember the traditions of the people and use them as a guide in terms of how I approach my own community service," Begay said. "I try to approach life with honor, truth and future generations in mind."
Begay earned, what he called, one of his "most prestigious honors" last month when he was the grand marshal for the 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair Parade.
"The parade was bigger than I anticipated with about 75,000 people out there," Begay said. "I had a great time getting to back to talk with tribal leaders."
Golf became his focus after college. He finished No. 10 on the Nationwide Tour money list in 1998 to earn his PGA Tour card. He won four events and represented the United States in the Presidents Cup in 2000.
Injuries to his back derailed his career for much of the last decade, but now he is back, playing in a Nationwide Tour event and preparing for the second stage of Q-School, into which he is exempt.
"I'm trying to get my status back on the regular tour," Begay said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to work on my game so I'm ready for Q-School."