Notah Begay III, the 2026 Payne Stewart Award recipient

“And the 2026 Payne Stewart Award goes to (New Mexico’s own) Notah Begay III.” That announcement was made a month ago during the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, but the formal presentation and the celebration of the award happened during the PGA Tour/FedEx Cup Championship (Aug. 27-30) at East Lake G.C. in Atlanta. The PGA Tour created the Payne Stewart Award in 2000, one year after Stewart tragically died in a plane crash.

Notah Begay III was born and raised in Albuquerque. He is a Native American of the Navajo, San Filipe and Isleta people. His father served in the military as a Marine. His grandfather was a Marine and was a World War II code talker.

Begay graduated in 1990 from Albuquerque Academy. He attended Stanford University, where he was a three-time All-American golfer, a teammate of Tiger Woods and played on the 1994 NCAA Div. I Men’s National Championship team.

In 1995 Begay turned professional. As a clear example of his talent, Begay shot 59 in fourth second round of the Nike Tour Dominion Open. He won four times on the PGA Tour (1999-2000). His playing career was plagued by injuries, and he suffered a heart attack in 2014 while warming up at Dallas National Golf Club. Following his playing career Begay transitioned into broadcasting and has since become one of the most respected TV voices in the game.

The Payne Stewart Award is presented annually to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Begay was a perfect choice. Beyond competition and broadcasting Begay has remained deeply connected to the Natrive American community, using his platform to mentor native American youth and expand access to golf within their communities.

Through his NB3 Foundation he has reached more than 85,000 native American youth and their families across the U.S, supporting initiatives focused on physical activity, nutrition, youth development and cultural connection.

On June 25 this year the NB3 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.

I had personally become quite familiar with the struggles that tribal communities experience with mental health, substance abuse and healthcare when I served for seven years as the chief psychologist at the long-term substance rehabilitation clinic at the Mescalero Apache facility near Ruidoso. I traveled there on a weekly basis.

Notah Begay has devoted much of his energy and resources to youth golf. The seventh annual Native Youth Golf Championship was held in July at Santa Ana Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. The event brought together Native golfers age 10 to 18 for a college and resource fair, skills competitions and two championship rounds. This was part of $10 million invested in Native needs.

When Begay was informed that he was the 2026 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award he had this to say: “This is an incredible honor and one I accept with great humility. Payne Stewart represented the very best of our game, not only in how he competed, but in how he lived his life and gave back to others. To be associated with his legacy is truly special. Golf has given me a platform to serve, and I’ve always believed it’s our responsibility to use that platform to uplift others, especially the next generation. This recognition means a great deal to me and the communities I’ve had the privilege to represent.”