Notah's world

FEW golfers can mix tales of Tiger Woods, Northern Ireland's World Cup squad of 1986 and a hole in one at Augusta.

Even less can talk about refusing a round with Bill Clinton and only one can discuss being the only full blooded Native American to play on the European Tour.

Welcome to Notah's world.
Half Vanajo, one-quarter San Felipe and one-quarter Isleta, Notah Begay III is the only Native American to win on the PGA Tour since Rod Curl beat Jack Nicklaus by a stroke at the Colonial 34 years ago.

A fabulous start to his professional career saw Begay pick up four titles in two years at the turn of the century. He won twice in 1999 and 2000 before partnering Woods - his Stanford University room-mate - in the Presidents Cup.

With the world seemingly at his feet, Begay tore a disc in his back in 2000, shortly after his ace at the Masters and refusing a round with former president Clinton, and his career spiralled downwards.

A seven-day jail sentence for drink driving only served to interrupt his tumble from the top of golf.

After a frustrating summer in the States in 2006, where he made only three cuts in 12 events on the Nationwide Tour, Begay decided to give Europe a whirl. So, in November he took on the European Tour's Qualifying School in Spain, home of his beloved Barcelona, and decided to move to London after earning his card.

Oddly for an American, one of Begay's main reasons for coming to Europe is to sample the continent's love affair with football - his sport of choice.

"I like football first and golf second," declared Begay. "I like the team ethic - I'm interested in why Europe's Ryder Cup team is so good.

"When I was a boy, the Northern Ireland team stopped off at my high school in New Mexico on their way to the World Cup. I couldn't understand what they were saying and I knew they weren't the favourites, but I was stunned by their skill.

"Then I watched Diego Maradona and I was intrigued by how one man could dominate a whole tournament, how he could affect the mood of a country.

Now my support goes with Barcelona and I'm looking for an English team that fits my personality.

"I like the look of Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United. Ronaldo is a phenomenal player and I also like Saha and Rooney."

One man pleased with Begay's decision to play in Europe is George O'Grady, executive director of the European Tour. "I'm very pleased Notah chose to come and play in Europe," O'Grady said. "He's a quality player and can only be an asset to our tour. He's had a rough time of it the last few years, but I understand he's in good health now and we expect him to do very well.

Playing in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Far East might all seem a bit strange to begin with, but he made the cut in his first two events. He's chosen to be a world player and I think he'll adapt very well."

Having endured persistent pain in his back for five years, a period in which is game inevitably faltered and depression set in, Begay has indeed returned to good physical shape thanks largely to trainer Chris Frankel at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The pair started working together in January 2001 after Begay suffered annular tears in the L4 and L5 discs at the base of the spine - the result, he says, of over-exhuberant training in late 2000.

"When I first met Chris, I could barely bend over to tee a ball up," Begay remembers. "Now I'm stronger than ever and have a better range of motion than I did when I won those four tournaments back in 1999 and 2000.

"This is the first time I have been 100 per cent fit in six years. I was in excruciating pain. I could not take a plane because I could only sit down for 20 minutes and I'd sleep for two hours a night. That led to my confidence going and that led to depression."

His mental state has been put through the wash too. Dr Gio Valiante providing the motivation, inspiration and confidence triggers that a despondent and irresolute Begay no doubt needed to hear.

Sports psychology's man of the moment and the author of Fearless Golf, Valiante has worked with Jack Nicklaus, Chris Di Marco, Justin Leonard, Chad Campbell and Davis Love III, among others, and is currently helping Begay organise his thoughts better so he can make quicker, firmer and more reliable decisions on the golf course.

"We've made tremendous progress," says Valiante. "Notah certainly had a lot of scar tissue between the ears after years of back pain and bad play, but I am reminding him what a great player he was before his health problems came on. He has made all sorts of compensations, physically and mentally, for a long time and now we have to get him thinking straight and believing he can do it all over again."

One thing Begay admits is that he's struggled with a tendency to overcomplicate the game.

"I think too much," he says.
"But Gio is helping me become more of a feel player. Tiger has also encouraged me to play more by instinct."

Begay's friendship with Tiger Woods goes back to their college days at Stanford and has been instrumental in his re-emergence.

"I've worked out with Tiger quite a bit over the years and we often practice together.

"We became close mainly because we knew we we're different.
"When I started playing golf I was very aware that there were no brown or dark people. I knew Tiger was special, but I still made him carry my bag."

Away from golf, Begay set up the Notah Begay III Foundation in 2005, the mission being to deliver youth sports programmes in Native American communities in the form of golf and soccer.

Begay also has a football school on a reservation near Alburquerque, New Mexico, but refuses to have any turf put on it.

"I won't put a grass pitch in because I read Pele's autobiography and how he played on the streets with no shoes," he said.

"I want them to play on dirt. I want them to realise it's what you have inside that counts. More heart, less flair."

No-one could refute the fact that Begay himself has plenty of heart.