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| 2011 NB3 Challenge |
April 26, 2011
Notah Begay III, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, today announced
some of the marquee participants in the fourth annual Notah Begay
III (NB3) Foundation Challenge, slated to take place on Tuesday,
July 5 at Turning Stone Resort’s Atunyote Golf Club on Oneida
Indian Nation lands near Vernon.
PGA TOUR stars Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler will tee it up
alongside NFL quarterbacks Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys
and Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams in the two-person team,
best-ball 18-hole shootout.
Three additional top names from the world of sports and
entertainment will be revealed at a later date, and join Begay in an
eight-player star-studded field in an effort to raise awareness and
funding for the improved health and wellness of Native American
youth on Indian reservations nationwide.
“I am humbled and very excited to have some of the world’s elite
athletes as a part of this year’s event,” said Begay. “The
involvement of world-class golfers like Tiger (Woods) and Rickie
(Fowler) and NFLer’s Tony (Romo) and Sam (Bradford) takes the
2011 NB3 Challenge to a whole new level and, more importantly,
helps reinforce the Foundation’s commitment to empowering Native
youth to sustain active, healthy and productive lives.”
Tickets are on sale now, and may be purchased by contacting the
Turning Stone Box Office at 315-361-SHOW (7469) or visiting the
Box Office which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. NB3 Challenge
tickets are priced at $50 for adults and, until May 15, can be
purchased for a special, limited-time offer of $40 each (no
restrictions applied). Youth admission for 16 and under is provided
complimentary with purchase of an adult ticket (must be requested
at time of original purchase). Active Military receive a 50 percent
discount upon presentation of a valid military I.D. Overnight
packages are also available by calling 1-800-771-7711.
All proceeds from the tournament go directly to benefit the Notah
Begay III Foundation. More than $2.4 million has been raised in
support of the foundation’s mission through the first three years of
the event, thanks to the strong and ever-growing partnership with
the Oneida Indian Nation, and the efforts of the many top
professional golfers who have participated.
The Notah Begay III Foundation was founded in 2005 by Begay, the
only full-blooded Native American on the PGA TOUR. In an effort to
make a difference in the lives of Native American youth, the
Foundation took on the mission to reduce the incidences of
childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and promote the leadership
development of Native American youth. Driven by Native staff, the
Foundation is committed to developing sustainable and evidence-
based sports, health, wellness and leadership development
programming that can be replicated throughout Indian Country.
“The Oneida Indian Nation and Turning Stone Resort are delighted
to once again host the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at the
Atunyote Golf Club,” said Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation
Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises. “We are proud to
have partnered with Notah over the years in his efforts to improve
the lives of American Indian youth. Notah's commitment to recruiting
the world's best golfers, athletes and celebrities to participate in this
annual event has made a major impact in raising awareness around
one of the most pressing health concerns confronting Indian
Country and our society at large today - childhood obesity and
diabetes.”
The early entrants in the field of eight for the 2011 NB3 Challenge
feature some of sports most-fierce competitors and rising stars.
Woods and Fowler represent both present and future greatness
from the PGA TOUR. Woods, a college teammate of Begay’s at
Stanford in the mid-1990s, is one of golf’s giants. He owns 14
professional golf major championships, the second-highest total in
the history of the men’s game, and his 71 PGA TOUR victories
ranks third all-time. The 10-time winner of the PGA TOUR Player of
the Year award will be making his second appearance in a NB3
Challenge. In 2009, he grabbed nine skins to outshoot a world-
class field and captured the tournament title.
Fowler, who is part Navajo, finished second in last year’s NB3
Challenge. The reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year enjoyed a
breakthrough first season with a pair of runner-up and seven top-
10 finishes in 2010. Fowler capped off an impressive first-year
campaign when he was selected as a captain’s pick for the United
States Ryder Cup team. In 2011, he owns two top-10 finishes and is
one of five golfers to fire a TOUR-low round of 62 (Waste
Management Phoenix Open).
Romo and Bradford are two of the top signal-callers in the NFL.
Romo has risen from undrafted free agent to the quarterback of
America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. The three-time NFL Pro
Bowler owns Cowboys’ single-season records for touchdown
passes (36), completions (335), yardage (4,211) and 300-yard
games (seven). In all, Romo has amassed more than 16,000
passing yards and 118 touchdowns in 89 career games. The eight-
year NFL veteran is also an avid golfer who has attempted on
numerous occasions to qualify for the Byron Nelson and U.S. Open
tournaments.
Bradford, who was the top overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in
2010, is coming off one of the most productive seasons by a rookie
quarterback in NFL history. He set NFL rookie records for
completions (354) and attempts (590), his 3,739 passing yards
rank second all-time and his 18 touchdown passes were tied for
fifth most by a rookie in league history. In addition, Bradford was
named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year for his
efforts. The Oklahoma City native is also a member of the
Cherokee Nation, and is the only Native American to win the
Heisman Trophy.
This year, the NB3 Foundation Challenge will be a two-person
team, best-ball format, with a total purse of $275,000. Past events
have featured a mixed-team, best-ball format in 2010 with Hunter
Mahan and Cristie Kerr victorious, and a Skins Challenge format
with Woods capturing top honors in 2009 and Camilo Villegas
earning the top spot in the 2008 inaugural event.
For more information about the NB3 Foundation Challenge, visit:
www.nb3challenge.com.
Proceeds from past NB3 Challenges have helped Begay and the
Foundation launch and support the model golf and soccer
programs the Foundation is striving to implement across Indian
Country. More than 3,850 Native youth have been engaged and
served by NB3 soccer and golf programs. With funds raised during
the 2009 Challenge, the San Felipe Soccer Club received a new
home in the form of a $750,000 soccer field and community park in
the San Felipe Pueblo. The park is the first recreational facility in
the Pueblo’s history. The Challenge has also allowed the
Foundation to establish a number of partnerships, including with
the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health. Through a
series of studies in 2010, Johns Hopkins found that the NB3
Foundation is succeeding in its efforts to create evidence-based
sports programming. Results found that NB3 programming’s efforts
at the Pueblo “may be early predictors of reduced rates of obesity
and diabetes as participating children age.” The findings are
significant as the NB3 Foundation hopes to replicate it model and
evidence-based programming in other Native American
communities in the future as a means to fight the epidemic of
childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes among Native American
youth.
Notah Begay III, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, today announced
some of the marquee participants in the fourth annual Notah Begay
III (NB3) Foundation Challenge, slated to take place on Tuesday,
July 5 at Turning Stone Resort’s Atunyote Golf Club on Oneida
Indian Nation lands near Vernon.
PGA TOUR stars Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler will tee it up
alongside NFL quarterbacks Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys
and Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams in the two-person team,
best-ball 18-hole shootout.
Three additional top names from the world of sports and
entertainment will be revealed at a later date, and join Begay in an
eight-player star-studded field in an effort to raise awareness and
funding for the improved health and wellness of Native American
youth on Indian reservations nationwide.
“I am humbled and very excited to have some of the world’s elite
athletes as a part of this year’s event,” said Begay. “The
involvement of world-class golfers like Tiger (Woods) and Rickie
(Fowler) and NFLer’s Tony (Romo) and Sam (Bradford) takes the
2011 NB3 Challenge to a whole new level and, more importantly,
helps reinforce the Foundation’s commitment to empowering Native
youth to sustain active, healthy and productive lives.”
Tickets are on sale now, and may be purchased by contacting the
Turning Stone Box Office at 315-361-SHOW (7469) or visiting the
Box Office which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. NB3 Challenge
tickets are priced at $50 for adults and, until May 15, can be
purchased for a special, limited-time offer of $40 each (no
restrictions applied). Youth admission for 16 and under is provided
complimentary with purchase of an adult ticket (must be requested
at time of original purchase). Active Military receive a 50 percent
discount upon presentation of a valid military I.D. Overnight
packages are also available by calling 1-800-771-7711.
All proceeds from the tournament go directly to benefit the Notah
Begay III Foundation. More than $2.4 million has been raised in
support of the foundation’s mission through the first three years of
the event, thanks to the strong and ever-growing partnership with
the Oneida Indian Nation, and the efforts of the many top
professional golfers who have participated.
The Notah Begay III Foundation was founded in 2005 by Begay, the
only full-blooded Native American on the PGA TOUR. In an effort to
make a difference in the lives of Native American youth, the
Foundation took on the mission to reduce the incidences of
childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and promote the leadership
development of Native American youth. Driven by Native staff, the
Foundation is committed to developing sustainable and evidence-
based sports, health, wellness and leadership development
programming that can be replicated throughout Indian Country.
“The Oneida Indian Nation and Turning Stone Resort are delighted
to once again host the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at the
Atunyote Golf Club,” said Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation
Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises. “We are proud to
have partnered with Notah over the years in his efforts to improve
the lives of American Indian youth. Notah's commitment to recruiting
the world's best golfers, athletes and celebrities to participate in this
annual event has made a major impact in raising awareness around
one of the most pressing health concerns confronting Indian
Country and our society at large today - childhood obesity and
diabetes.”
The early entrants in the field of eight for the 2011 NB3 Challenge
feature some of sports most-fierce competitors and rising stars.
Woods and Fowler represent both present and future greatness
from the PGA TOUR. Woods, a college teammate of Begay’s at
Stanford in the mid-1990s, is one of golf’s giants. He owns 14
professional golf major championships, the second-highest total in
the history of the men’s game, and his 71 PGA TOUR victories
ranks third all-time. The 10-time winner of the PGA TOUR Player of
the Year award will be making his second appearance in a NB3
Challenge. In 2009, he grabbed nine skins to outshoot a world-
class field and captured the tournament title.
Fowler, who is part Navajo, finished second in last year’s NB3
Challenge. The reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year enjoyed a
breakthrough first season with a pair of runner-up and seven top-
10 finishes in 2010. Fowler capped off an impressive first-year
campaign when he was selected as a captain’s pick for the United
States Ryder Cup team. In 2011, he owns two top-10 finishes and is
one of five golfers to fire a TOUR-low round of 62 (Waste
Management Phoenix Open).
Romo and Bradford are two of the top signal-callers in the NFL.
Romo has risen from undrafted free agent to the quarterback of
America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. The three-time NFL Pro
Bowler owns Cowboys’ single-season records for touchdown
passes (36), completions (335), yardage (4,211) and 300-yard
games (seven). In all, Romo has amassed more than 16,000
passing yards and 118 touchdowns in 89 career games. The eight-
year NFL veteran is also an avid golfer who has attempted on
numerous occasions to qualify for the Byron Nelson and U.S. Open
tournaments.
Bradford, who was the top overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in
2010, is coming off one of the most productive seasons by a rookie
quarterback in NFL history. He set NFL rookie records for
completions (354) and attempts (590), his 3,739 passing yards
rank second all-time and his 18 touchdown passes were tied for
fifth most by a rookie in league history. In addition, Bradford was
named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year for his
efforts. The Oklahoma City native is also a member of the
Cherokee Nation, and is the only Native American to win the
Heisman Trophy.
This year, the NB3 Foundation Challenge will be a two-person
team, best-ball format, with a total purse of $275,000. Past events
have featured a mixed-team, best-ball format in 2010 with Hunter
Mahan and Cristie Kerr victorious, and a Skins Challenge format
with Woods capturing top honors in 2009 and Camilo Villegas
earning the top spot in the 2008 inaugural event.
For more information about the NB3 Foundation Challenge, visit:
www.nb3challenge.com.
Proceeds from past NB3 Challenges have helped Begay and the
Foundation launch and support the model golf and soccer
programs the Foundation is striving to implement across Indian
Country. More than 3,850 Native youth have been engaged and
served by NB3 soccer and golf programs. With funds raised during
the 2009 Challenge, the San Felipe Soccer Club received a new
home in the form of a $750,000 soccer field and community park in
the San Felipe Pueblo. The park is the first recreational facility in
the Pueblo’s history. The Challenge has also allowed the
Foundation to establish a number of partnerships, including with
the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health. Through a
series of studies in 2010, Johns Hopkins found that the NB3
Foundation is succeeding in its efforts to create evidence-based
sports programming. Results found that NB3 programming’s efforts
at the Pueblo “may be early predictors of reduced rates of obesity
and diabetes as participating children age.” The findings are
significant as the NB3 Foundation hopes to replicate it model and
evidence-based programming in other Native American
communities in the future as a means to fight the epidemic of
childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes among Native American
youth.
| Woods, Romo, Fowler and Bradford playing in 4th Annual NB3 Challenge |
| Three more stars to be announced in upcoming weeks for July 5 event at Atunyote |
Notah Begay III (above) is bringing big stars to his 4th annual event.