Tiger Woods will play Native American

charity event for buddy Begay

Tiger Woods has accepted an invitation from long-time friend Notah Begay III to play in his charity Skins Game at Turning Stone Resort next month to support Native American youth.
Woods’ agent at IMG confirmed Tiger would be playing on August 24 in the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge. The world’s No. 1 player will join Stanford University team-mate Begay, former Masters champion Mike Weir and Camilo Villegas.
A year ago, the event raised $180,000 for Begay’s foundation, which supports youth sports and wellness programs for Native Americans in New Mexico and other states.
Begay, a Navajo, is the only Native American on the US PGA Tour. He has four PGA Tour victories, none since 2000, and earned his card for this year by returning to Q-School.
He and Woods have remained close, however, and, thanks to Tiger, Begay received an exemption to the AT&T National, of which Woods is the host.
Woods had planned to play in Begay’s event a year ago until he was forced to miss the second half of the season with knee surgery.
Turning Stone Resort in upstate New York has held a Fall Series event on the PGA Tour the last two years, and its $6 million purse is larger than some regular-season events. Woods is not expected to play in the PGA Tour event, as it follows the conclusion of the FedEx Cup.
Begay’s charity event is the Monday of The Barclays in New Jersey, the start of the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup.
Woods has never played The Barclays since it became part of the play-offs. Mark Steinberg, his agent at IMG, said Woods has not decided on his schedule for the play-offs.