Tiger Woods Among Golfers in Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge Tomorrow

Native News Network Staff in Entertainment. Discussion »

ONEIDA INDIAN NATION, NEW YORK– Tiger Woods will once again golf in the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge tomorrow at the Turning Stone Resort's Atunyote Golf Club on the Oneida Indian Nation near Verona, New York.

Christie Kerr and Hunter Mahan Winning NB3 Foundation Challenge Last Year

In addition to Tiger Woods, other PGA TOUR stars such as Rickie Fowler and K.J. Choi along with top LPGA golfers Cristie Kerr and world's number one Yani Tseng will be among those joining Begay to help support the continued effort of the NB3 Foundation to raise awareness and funding for the improved health and wellness of Native American youth nationwide.

Rounding out the 12 player, world-class field will be PGA TOUR pros Gary Woodland, major champion Y.E.Yang, Charlie Wi and Danny Lee, and LPGA Tour golfers Lexi Thompson and Se Ri Pak. For the first time in the five year history of the event, a new East meets West format will be used to pair the fiercely competitive field of golfers in a mixed team, best ball tournament, pitting United States and Asian players against each other, with a $450,000 winners' purse at stake.

“I'm happy and humbled to announce that the Challenge will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year,”

said Begay.

“This event has played such a huge part in helping the NB3 Foundation in its mission of empowering Native youth to sustain active, healthy and productive lives. The support from the Oneida Indian Nation and commitment from great players such as Tiger, Rickie, K.J. and Yani to attend and compete means so much to me. Together, we continue the battle against obesity and type 2 diabetes to improve Native communities everywhere.”

“This year we are trying to make is little different by having East meet the West, so to speak,”

Begay told the Native News Network last week.

“With this being our fifth year, we wanted to add a little something to the tournament.”

All proceeds from the tournament go directly to benefit the Notah Begay III Foundation. In its first four years, the event has raised more than $3 million through its robust, ongoing partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation and the support of professional golfers.

“We are pleased to partner with Notah Begay to bring all of Central New York this great event,”

said Arthur Halbritter, Oneida, CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises

“We are honored to host the world's finest male and female professional golfers and provide a platform to promote the critically important charitable work that the NB3 Foundation is doing for Indian country.”

The money raised over the first four installments of the NB3 Foundation Challenge has helped Begay and the Foundation launch, sustain and expand programming driven by Native staff to attack profound health and wellness issues impacting Native American youth and to empower those youth and help them realize their potential as tomorrow's leaders. Beginning in 2005, the mission of NB3 Foundation has been to reduce the incidences of obesity and diabetes and advance the lives of Native American youth through evidence-based sports, health and wellness programming. The Foundation continues to support the development of sustainable, evidence-based and model programs, research, advocacy and strategic grantmaking in Native American communities. More than 10,000 Native youth have been engaged and served by the NB3 soccer and golf programs and additional Foundation initiatives.

The NB3 Foundation Challenge continues to proudly demonstrate what Native groups can accomplish through shared efforts and resources aimed at addressing important issues in Native American communities. Indian Nations, like Oneida, have made extraordinary progress in recent years to build promising futures for their youth and communities, and this event exemplifies that progress. Turning Stone Resort Casino, the host site for the NB3 Foundation Challenge, is an economic enterprise of the Oneida Indian Nation.

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posted August 28, 2012 8:20 am edt