15-time major champion Tiger Woods first met Notah Begay III in 1985. Woods was 9 then; Begay was 12. The two grew close, and their friendship has only grown stronger over the years. So, when Payne Stewart’s son, Aaron Stewart, honored the four-time PGA Tour winner with the Payne Stewart Award 43 years later, Woods had a heartfelt message for his decades-long friend. Before Begay delivered his acceptance speech, Woods appeared in a video, reflecting on their decades-long friendship.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“It’s been an unbelievable ride with you. You first came into my life when I was 11 years old, playing in the junior world, and you came over to watch me play, and our friendship has started there and has never ended. To see what you’ve done off the golf course… And for your local Native American communities, you’ve helped over 80,000 youths and their families, which is absolutely incredible.”
“What an amazing job at the Sports Complex in San Felipe. And I just think that more people need to know what you’ve done, how you’ve served, and how you’ve given back to the tribal lands… because there are so many people out there who are struggling in those communities. You’re trying to raise the bar to allow them to go ahead and achieve a lot more in life.
“And have the successes that I think they deserve, and you feel that they deserve. But again, thank you for coming to see me play. Thank you for getting our friendship started, and I love you, dude.”
The committee awarded Notah Begay III the 2026 Payne Stewart Award for his exceptional character, fair play, and charitable work, specifically through the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation. Created in 2000 in honor of the late World Golf Hall of Famer Payne Stewart, who died in a tragic plane crash shortly after winning the 1999 U.S. Open, the award is an annual PGA Tour honor.
It’s given to a professional golfer who best exemplifies character, charitable giving, and fair play. Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer won it in 2000. As for Woods’ message, it’s bound to mean a lot to Begay. Woods and Begay III have shared a deep, brotherly friendship for over 40 years, beginning when Begay approached Woods at the Optimist Junior World Championships in San Diego and offered friendship.
They bonded further on the junior circuit, became Stanford teammates in the 1990s, and later competed as pros, including as Presidents Cup partners in 2000. Regardless, after Woods’ touching speech about his close friend, Begay delivered his acceptance speech; he never expected to get the award because of his background.
“I never thought that I could actually become a Payne Stewart Award recipient [because] people like me don’t win awards like this,” Begay said. “I come from a community where Native Americans have the shortest lifespan in America.”
Begay III became a three-time All-American at Stanford and the captain of the 1994 national championship team. After turning professional in 1995, he became the first Native American to win on the PGA Tour. All of his PGA Tour titles came between 1999 and 2000. However, chronic back injuries limited his playing career after 2000, and he later transitioned into a successful role as a Golf Channel analyst.