VERONA, N.Y. — Notah Begay III couldn’t have scripted it any better.
With more than 3,000 awestruck fans watching his every move, Tiger Woods captured the second annual Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge on Monday, surging past Camilo Villegas in the closing holes at Turning Stone Resort’s Atunyote Golf Club.
After Villegas won $180,000 with a birdie at the 14th hole to boost his winnings for the day to $200,000 in the skins game format, Woods won the next three holes to finish with $230,000. Begay birdied No. 18 for $70,000, while Canada’s Mike Weir was shut out for the second straight year.
Begay received a check for $750,000 for his foundation and Woods, his roommate in college at Stanford and his longtime friend, departed with the winning trophy, a piece of Pueblo Indian black pottery from Begay’s home state of New Mexico. It was a rare appearance by the world’s top player, whose schedule leaves little room for such forays. Woods was glowing afterward, the stunning loss to Y.E. Yang in the PGA Championship a week ago erased by a few swings for charity.
“Today was incredible, to come here and bring awareness to what Notah is trying to do,” said Woods, who won five holes to three for Villegas. “It’s great to see what he’s doing, to put his heart, soul and passion into something like this and bring this many people together to help them understand and educate the public. I’m just so proud of him as a friend. We’ve been through a lot together.”
Jackson leads U.S. Amateur
TULSA, Okla. — Tim Jackson, who led the U.S. Senior Open through two rounds this summer, shot a 2-under 68 on Monday to take the lead after the first round of the U.S. Amateur Championship. Jackson, 50, made three birdies against one bogey at Southern Hills Country Club. He was the lone golfer in the field of 156 at Southern Hills to best par, while four golfers managed to shoot 1-under at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow. Jackson, of Germantown, Tenn., will move across town to the longer Cedar Ridge course Tuesday for the final qualifying round, after which the field of 312 will be cut to 64 for match play which runs Wednesday through Sunday at Southern Hills.
Three Texans qualify
COVINGTON — Texans Robert Thompson, David Ogrin and Jeb Stuart earned places in the Boeing Classic during qualifying Monday. Thompson shot 66, Ogrin 68 and Stuart 69 to top a field of 28 players at Druids Glen Golf Course. The Boeing Classic, a PGA Seniors event, is scheduled Friday through Sunday at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge.
Associated Press
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