On Wednesday, the Presidents Cup and American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) announced the return of the Junior Presidents Cup which will be held Monday, September 19, and Tuesday, September 20. It is to be held at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. This will be the third year that the Junior Presidents Cup will be contested. Notah Begay III and South Africa’s Tim Clark will be captains of the U.S. and International Teams, respectively.
Notah Begay III, Navajo, San Felipe, Isleta, will be the captain of the U.S. Junior Team. It’s the first time in the history of golf and the PGA tour that a Native American has received the designation.
Notah Begay III is the first Native American to compete on the PGA TOUR and in the Presidents Cup. He was also a member of the victorious 2000 U.S. Team. The Albuquerque Academy grad is a four-time PGA TOUR winner and even partnered with former Stanford University teammate Tiger Woods in four matches.
The Junior Presidents Cup is a two-day, team match-play competition that will feature 24 of the world’s top 19 years and younger boys. The two teams: 12 from the U.S. and 12 from various countries around the world, excluding Europe.
Begay is the host and founder of the Notah Begay III Junior National Championship which gives juniors opportunities to compete with other talented golfers from around the country.
As a junior golfer, Begay competed in AJGA events from 1987-89. He was named a Rolex Junior All-American in 1987 after winning two AJGA tournaments at the Southwestern Junior and the Meridian Junior Classic. He also had two top-15 finishes in 1988 and 1989.
Begay said he was excited about the opportunity to take part in this event “As a player, it was special to represent my country at the Presidents Cup, so to now be asked to captain the junior team is truly an honor. This event is a wonderful chance to showcase the next generation of stars at golf’s highest level. Every one of these kids wants to play on TOUR, so my goal is to be a resource for them not only in preparation for their matches but also as they look toward a future in the professional game.”
The 49-year-old golfer has served as an analyst with the Golf Channel and NBC Sports since 2013.