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Begay back at site of biggest win

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2000

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- This tournament proved something to Notah Begay III.

He had one title on his resume when he rallied last year in the Michelob Championship, closing with two straight birdies to force a playoff at Kingsmill Golf Club.

He won on the second playoff hole, and he says the victory meant more to him than his breakthrough title.

"You hear in the record industry of one-hit wonders," he said. "There's a lot of guys that have won one tournament and it was just their one week. To come out and win again just proved that I was competitive and could play at a high level at different times during the year."

Begay has won twice more this season, in Memphis, Tenn., on June 25 and a week later at Hartford, Conn.

He has climbed to 16th on the money list with more than $1.7-million and achieved his No. 1 goal coming into the season, a spot on the President's Cup team.

"When you win, you've got to try to keep pushing yourself to challenge yourself," he said. "I thought (the President's Cup) would be a great goal because I knew that I was going to have to win to accomplish that goal."

This tournament was moved from midsummer to October three years ago and has assumed an important role: It has become vital for players jockeying for position on the tour's various qualification money lists.

"There's a lot of good stories," said Curtis Strange, who lives in the Kingsmill community and is the host pro.

The top 30 on the money list, for example, earn spots in the Tour Championship on Nov. 2-5.

"And there's the top 125, which is to me the true grinders because that's their livelihood," Strange said of the cutoff for players to retain their playing privileges for another year without having to requalify.

"It's, "Are you going to be able to play golf on tour next year?' "

LPGA ROOKIE: Dorothy Delasin, who became the youngest player in 25 years to win on the LPGA Tour, clinched the Rookie of the Year award last week at the New Albany Golf Classic in Ohio. She is the first American-born player to win the award since Pat Hurst in 1995.

"This is the best feeling in the world," said Delasin, who won the U.S. Amateur last year.

She won the LPGA Classic in Warren, Ohio, at 19, the youngest player to win since Amy Alcott in 1975.

U.S. WOMEN'S MID-AMATEUR: Two-time champion Ellen Port shot 3-over-par 75 to top the 64 match-play qualifiers in the event at Newport Beach, Calif. Port, of St. Louis, had a 3-over 147 total at Big Canyon Country Club.

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