Notah Begay III went to Royal Birkdale this week to explain someone else’s golf. During NBC’s third-round broadcast Saturday, the story turned toward him.
Aaron Stewart, Payne Stewart’s son, surprised Begay on air with the news that he had been selected as the 2026 recipient of the PGA Tour’s Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company. Saturday’s third-round coverage of the 154th Open Championship aired on NBC from Royal Birkdale.
The annual honor recognizes a professional golfer whose record reflects Stewart’s values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Begay is expected to be formally celebrated during Tour Championship week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
The four PGA Tour victories matter. So do Begay’s Stanford record and his long television career. But the strongest case for this award comes from what he built after back injuries narrowed his playing future: a Native-led organization with measurable reach in children’s health, youth development and access to golf.
A Playing Career That Became a Platform
Begay’s playing career had a fast and meaningful peak.
The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native won four times on the PGA Tour. Before turning professional, he was a three-time All-American at Stanford and helped the Cardinal win the 1994 NCAA Division I men’s golf championship.
Begay made his Golf Channel debut in 2010 and joined NBC Sports full time in 2013. His work now includes on-course reporting, tournament analysis and appearances on Golf Central programming. Back injuries prevented his playing career from developing as long as his early success suggested it might.
Television gave Begay a wider public platform, but visibility alone does not explain this award. Long before broadcasting became his primary role, he had begun constructing the second part of his career.
Begay, identified by his foundation as Diné and from the Pueblos of San Felipe and Isleta, founded the Notah Begay III Foundation in 2005. The organization began with a junior golf program led by his father, Notah Begay Jr., that introduced Native youth in the Albuquerque area to a sport often inaccessible in rural and urban Native communities.
That beginning established the model Begay has continued to follow. Golf could provide an entry point, but the work had to extend into health, leadership, culture and the conditions affecting children away from the course.
The Work Behind the Award
The NB3 Foundation has grown from that local junior program into a national Native-led nonprofit focused on Native children’s health.
The organization reports that it has served 80,000 Native youth, invested $10 million in Native communities and distributed 136 grants to Native-led organizations in 15 states. Its programs are structured around physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections.
Those numbers establish operating scale. A recent initiative shows what that scale looks like in practice.
On June 25, the foundation announced more than $1.18 million in Water First! Community Action Grants for seven tribal and Native-led organizations. The recipients will spend the next 2½ years developing community-designed efforts to improve access to healthy beverages and support long-term health outcomes.
The award announcement also arrives at an appropriate time for Begay’s work in golf.
The seventh annual Native Youth Golf Championship begins Sunday at Santa Ana Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. The July 19-21 event brings together Native golfers ages 10 to 18 for a college and resource fair, skills competitions and two championship rounds. First-place finishers in each division will advance to the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship.
At the 2025 championship, Begay did not soften the challenge facing the players.
“This is a tough game,” he told them. “This is where it starts.”
The line captured Begay’s approach. He does not need to present tournament golf as easy or promise that participation alone will create opportunity. His programs provide a place to begin, a competitive standard to meet and a pathway that did not previously exist for many of the players entering it.
By the Numbers
4
PGA Tour victories
2005
NB3 Foundation founded
80,000
Native youth served
$10M
Invested in Native communities
136
Grants in 15 states
Foundation impact totals are reported by the NB3 Foundation.
Why the Timing Fits
The PGA Tour created the Payne Stewart Award in 2000, one year after Stewart died in a plane crash. Southern Company has supported the presentation since its inception.
Begay follows Paul Azinger, Stewart’s close friend and the 2025 recipient. Azinger became the 28th honoree, following a list that includes Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Ernie Els and Justin Rose.
The award’s criteria are intentionally broader than victories, major championships or career earnings. It asks what a golfer’s presence has meant to other people and whether that influence reflects the character, charitable commitment and sportsmanship associated with Stewart.
Begay’s selection meets that standard through sustained work rather than one campaign or recent contribution. The foundation he started in 2005 has now operated for more than two decades. Its original connection to golf remains, but its reach has expanded into health, nutrition, research, grantmaking and community-led programming.
Tour Championship week is scheduled for Aug. 26-30 at East Lake, with tournament competition running Aug. 27-30. The PGA Tour had not yet published the exact award ceremony date, Begay’s designated charitable beneficiary, the 2026 grant distribution or his complete reaction when this story was prepared.
By the time Begay reaches Atlanta, however, the clearest evidence for his selection will already have appeared at Santa Ana.
Native juniors will arrive with a tee time, a competitive pathway and an opportunity to advance to a national championship. That pathway began with a small local program led by Begay’s father and developed into a national effort serving Native children and communities.
The televised surprise delivered the news. The work behind it makes the choice easy to understand.
Why It Matters
A Second Career With Consequence
Begay's four PGA Tour victories created a platform. His work after injuries shortened his playing career defines the award.
Native-Led, Community-Driven Work
The NB3 Foundation supports physical activity, nutrition, youth development and cultural connections in Native communities.
A Competitive Pathway
Begay's junior golf programs give Native players a place to compete, access college resources and advance to a national championship.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
