Notah Begay III – Podcast #437

Posted October 16, 2026 by Tom Brassell

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:19 — 38.1MB)

In this episode of the Worldwide Golf Insider Podcast, host Tom Brassell sat down with Notah Begay III—PGA Tour Champions player, NBC/Golf Channel analyst, and the 2026 Payne Stewart Award recipient—courtesy of Wilson Golf. The conversation covered the emotional surprise of the award, Begay’s remarkable journey from a reservation background in Albuquerque to Stanford and the professional ranks, his unique switch-putting approach, his partnership with Wilson, and the work of the NB3 Foundation.

A Surprise That Left Him Speechless

Begay called the Payne Stewart Award “what an opportunity, what a blessing, what an honor.” The presentation itself was pure theater. During a US Open broadcast rehearsal at Shinnecock Hills, with the full NBC booth (Terry Gannon, Dan Hicks, Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, Mike Tirico) running through the show, the door opened. Aaron Stewart walked in carrying the trophy, accompanied by Southern Company executives. Begay initially assumed it was a promotional shoot and started gathering his things, thinking he was sitting in the wrong chair.

Then Aaron Stewart said the words: on behalf of Southern Company, the 2026 Payne Stewart Award. Begay was overcome. “By the time he got the last part out… I was crying,” he recalled. What hit him hardest was the thought of the families and kids his foundation serves—kids facing domestic, social, educational, and health challenges every day. The award, he said, meant “we really are going to get to do more now.”

He noted that people from backgrounds like his historically “don’t win awards like this.” The Native American voice often goes unheard outside of stereotypes. Growing up on or near reservations meant cold showers when the heating bill couldn’t be paid and looking around rooms where no one else looked like you once you left the community. Moments like this, and the parallel story of Teton Saltes (the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy recipient from the Pine Ridge Reservation), matter because they let future generations “dream bigger.”

Putting the Award Money to Work

The award brings $500,000: $200,000 stays with the Payne Stewart Family Foundation, and Begay directs the remaining $300,000.

$200,000 goes straight to the NB3 Foundation to expand boots-on-the-ground programs—soccer, tennis, golf, basketball leagues, official training, nutrition and hydration education, cultural pride, language, and traditions. The goal is to keep kids active when school budgets cut teams and give them an outlet.
$100,000 goes to the Albuquerque Community Foundation, which has supported him since 2000 and funds a wide range of local nonprofits in art, health, education, literacy, and more in the communities that raised him.

From Collecting Cans to Stanford

Begay’s golf origin story is pure grit. His father played in a local nine-hole league (mostly, Begay suspects, as an excuse for post-round beers). Young Notah found an escape on the course. At eight or nine he collected cans, saved change, and did odd jobs just to afford $2.50 range buckets. One summer afternoon he waited in the parking lot of Ladera Golf Course, introduced himself to head pro Don Zamora, and offered to work for free practice privileges. He swept breezeways, emptied trash, cleaned bathrooms, parked carts, and picked the range from age nine until 17.

By age 17, he was a top-10 ranked junior with a Stanford scholarship. University of New Mexico coach John Fields offered him a full ride as a sophomore; Begay declined because he felt he needed to leave New Mexico to test himself against the best. Fields, instead of taking it poorly, called Stanford’s Wally Goodwin. Begay attended the highly regarded Albuquerque Academy, which helped open doors. When his SAT verbal score fell short, the varsity soccer coach (also head of the English department) met him at 6 a.m. every morning for 90 days of intensive prep—vocabulary cards, sentence structure, composition. He hit the number and headed to Palo Alto.

He remains the only full-blooded American Indian to win on the PGA Tour (noting that Rickie Fowler, also of Navajo heritage, provides additional representation). The support he received along the way is a big reason he feels compelled to give back.

The Switch-Putt Philosophy

Begay is famous for switching hands depending on the break: left-handed for left-to-right putts, right-handed for right-to-left. He credits the idea to the book Inside the Arc by Brian Stack and Tim Holman. The logic is simple and powerful: you never face a putt that breaks across your eye line.

Most right-handers prefer right-to-left putts because the arc of the stroke better matches the break, the putter sits more flush, and the eyes set up more naturally. Left-to-right putts fight the stroke path, eye line, and often produce slight toe strikes that open the face—especially on fast greens in the 5-to-10-foot range. Begay simply eliminates the problem by switching. There is no distance cutoff; the rule is absolute based on break direction. He noted that even Lee Trevino made setup adjustments on troublesome putts, a sign of the Hall of Famer’s genius.

Wilson Golf: An Underrated Ball That Passed Every Test

Begay’s relationship with Wilson began when the company became a founding partner of his national junior golf championship. Before committing for his PGA Tour Champions rookie year, he spent roughly 18 months testing every major ball—Callaway, Titleist, TaylorMade, Maxfli, and others—across coast, desert, altitude, rain, and wind, plus launch-monitor data. The Wilson ball (both the X and standard versions) was two to three miles per hour faster in ball speed for him and performed well in spin, bunker play, wind, and shot-shaping. He plays the yellow version for visibility in the fall.

“I wasn’t the type of player that’s going to do something because of a sponsorship. I want to win,” he said. Champions Tour peers have been surprised to see the Wilson ball, then watched it fly past them. He remains a strong believer in both the product and the company’s investment in junior golf.

What’s Next

Beyond the broadcast booth, Begay was headed to the Presidents Cup, then the New Mexico Open at Turtleback Mountain Golf Resort in Truth or Consequences (a high-purse state open with a unique local flavor, including nearby hot springs and a space-launch center). His production company is streaming the event with an interactive AI golf analyst named Duff Foreman—an edgy Scottish-accented character who evaluates swings with data and doesn’t hold back.

Closing Words

Begay ended with the same message he delivered in his Payne Stewart Award speech: you don’t need celebrity, fame, or wealth to make a difference. “You just kind of have to take your time and invest it into areas of interest that mean something to you… There’s thousands of kids that go without food every day that are unhoused. There’s kids battling health problems… The need always outmatches the resource. But if everybody pulls together… I think we can all make it a better place.”

Special thanks to Wilson Golf for connecting Notah Begay III with the Worldwide Golf Insider Podcast. For the full emotional award speech, search YouTube. Shop Worldwide Golf’s 100+ retail locations or worldwidegolf.com under our legendary 90-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee.