FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

June 25, 2000

Notah Begay III

NOTAH BEGAY III: I think the biggest thing for me is after going through my personal ordeal earlier in the year, you never know if you are ever going to return back to form. To be able to get back in contention for me was great and after coming off a great U.S. Open for me personally last week, I knew I had some momentum going and to be able to pull it out, especially when it was nip and tuck the last two, three holes is very refreshing and let me know that I am back to playing good golf again.

NOTAH BEGAY III: It is all putting. My short game and my ball-striking are fairly consistent. I am making better decisions and just making a few more putts this week. Last week I didn't make very many putts which just the way it goes sometimes.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Pretty much the same thing. It is and a Navaho name. I think it is pretty appropriate for golf.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yeah, there is no question. I knew what was going to happen down the stretch. You don't have to play as well as you think and you really need to exercise a lot of pars. I just kept plugging away making easy pars, easy pars and basically just wearing the course out. I made a great shot on 16 to get a birdie with a two-shot cushion and I had a two-shot lead and I could afford to make a mistake. When I did, I hit kind of a loose shot on 17 going into the green, but I plenty of green to work with. I just hit a bad shot. You can probably attribute a little bit of that to nerves and just bad execution. To come through on 18 knowing I had to make par and sticking it in there like that -- that is what you got to do.

NOTAH BEGAY III: 2-iron. I played that hole 2-over for the week. It just doesn't set up for me very well. I just was trying to get in the fairway and I hit my 2-iron good all day.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yeah. I mean my philosophy is you make them beat; you don't beat yourself. I was going to make him have to make three to at least go into a Playoff. I wasn't going to dink one in the water and give away the tournament.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I backed off a lot all day and it is just sometimes I just have trouble getting my alignment. When I don't have something picked out real clear and distinct in my mind I can't see the shot, I back off. I just didn't see the shot. It wasn't really nerves or anything. I just -- I knew I have a tendency to swing a little right. I knew that I was starting to creep towards the right center of the green and I couldn't do that because I wanted to leave myself at least a makeable birdie putt, but still play fairly conservative shot. I just geared it a little bit left and I probably pulled it just a shade.

NOTAH BEGAY III: 6-iron, 197 to the hole.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I picked out, there was some reeds in the lake there about 30 yards in front of the green. I just took it over those and just hit a little draw.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I just -- I play to win and that is the bottomline. I that was the only shot I had. I needed to make 4 or at least have a putt at 4 and, you know, I wasn't in it to finish in the Top-10. I was teeing it up Sunday going out there to execute and win the golf tournament.

NOTAH BEGAY III: It is huge because you know those two holes -- chances are you are going to bogey one of them if not both of them. To have a two-shot cushion lets you make a mistake which I mean, made all the difference in the world. Now coming down 18 tied, it is a whole different ballgame; then we are going to have a four-way Playoff. Just allowed me to be a little more conservative coming down the stretch.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I wasn't surprised at all. Bob is a very experienced player and he hit his last iron shot pretty good I think the wind just picked it up on 17 just a shade. I fully expected him to execute the shot the way he wanted and I expected him to make that putt. He missed a couple of short ones throughout the day and I just think that he just didn't quite give it enough speed.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yeah, for a year, I mean, it was a mandatory no alcohol, no drug policy for a year, so I haven't had any problems with it. It is just, you know, get a little 7-up or something. (laughs).

NOTAH BEGAY III: I have no problems with it. It is just a part of my life that happened and you got to accept the good with the bad and I have no problems answering questions in regards to the situation, and I have no problems personally dealing with it because it seems like I have come to grips with what I did and I am at peace with myself for it.

NOTAH BEGAY III: It is a confidence booster because I came in Sunday wanting to win the golf tournament. I wasn't coming in trying to play good, trying to play and see what happens. I came here to win this morning. To go out there and just -- I just played a great professional round today, one bogey, three birdies and hit the shots when I had to hit them and that just -- I guess it is a testament to the fact that I am growing as a player and maturing, and it just going to help me out the next time I am coming down the stretch and I need to do something that I have to do.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Oh, yeah.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Oh, third shot was, I was pin-high right about probably 18, 20 yards to the flag.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yes. That is the shot that got me out of Albuquerque. (laughs).

NOTAH BEGAY III: Two and a half feet.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Five feet.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I am just -- I give an honest opinion if someone asked me about FedEx St. Jude I am going to say it is a great place, good hospitality, nice golf course. I can't lie about the weather. It is pretty darn hot, but I can only go so far. But everything else is great about the tournament and I would suggest -- I would suggest to anybody to give it a shot.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yeah, but it is either Casey or I are going to have to keep the streak next week because Tiger is not playing and then he is playing the Western to defend, so, we will maybe try and keep it going for the rest of the year. (laughs).

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