Turning Stone Resort, an enterprise of the Oneida Indian Nation, announced the signing of professional golfer Notah Begay III to a two-year agreement to become an ambassador for the property. Begay, the only Native American on the PGA TOUR, has four career victories and has earned more than $5.1 million since turning pro in 1995.
The agreement will include Begay’s representation of Turning Stone in all personal and professional appearances, the Turning Stone logo featured on Begay’s golf bag and Web site, Turning Stone’s Atunyote Golf Club designated as Begay’s home course, and a youth clinic during the week of the PGA TOUR’s Turning Stone Resort Championship, Sept. 17-23, 2007.
“Notah Begay III is an outstanding golfer and a fine representative of our culture and heritage, which he has proven through countless hours of giving back to the Native American people,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone CEO Ray Halbritter. “We very much look forward to this partnership.”
“It’s an honor to represent Turning Stone and the Oneida Indian Nation,” Begay says. “The tradition and values of the Oneida people and Turning Stone were apparent this summer when they volunteered to host the B.C. Open on very short notice. I look forward to playing on a world-class golf course here next fall.”
This past summer’s B.C. Open was moved to Turning Stone’s Atunyote Golf Club after the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, NY was damaged by flooding. In August, Turning Stone and the PGA TOUR announced the resort would host the Turning Stone Resort Championship as the opening event of the Fall Series in September 2007.
A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Begay also is a National Spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and helps lead the fight against diabetes by encouraging Native American communities to pursue healthier lifestyles. In 2005, Begay and his father founded The Notah Begay III Foundation, a federally recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization that delivers youth sports programs in Native American communities in the form of golf and soccer programs.
For more information on Notah Begay III, visit www.notah.com.
