Native youth golfers from all across the country competed in the NB3 Foundation 3rd annual Native Youth Golf Championship on July 24-26 at the Santa Ana Golf Club, Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. Eight of the 60 jr golfers qualified to play in the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship at Kosati Pines at Coushatta in Kinder, La. in November.
“This tournament never disappoints. It’s a favorite for us at the foundation and we are excited to see it growing each year,” Clint Begay, director of NB3FIT said.
Harlow Gregory, Choctaw Nation; Aiden Raphael, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe; Emma Cunningham, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin; Ainslee Stanford III, Choctaw Nation; Beans Factor, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole tribes; Zachary BlueEyes, Navajo Nation; Ella Barbush, Choctaw Nation; Skyler Woods, Navajo Nation won their respective age divisions and securing themselves a spot in the national event airing on the Golf Channel.
This year’s tournament showcased a lot of new comers and some past champions making their return. Skyler Woods and Zachary BlueEyes both won the inaugural event in 2020 and were able to take back the title for their age divisions this year. BlueEyes and Woods are also members of the 2022 NB3FIT Golf Team.
The Choctaw Nation represented well at this year’s tournament, having three of their youth secure spots in the national event – all first timers to the Native Youth Golf Championship.
The Native Youth Golf Championship is very unique, though the tournament is a qualifier for a much larger event it is also a great opportunity for beginner golfers to experience as they grow their golf game.
“We have and welcome all skill levels in our tournament,” Begay said. “Each youth comes in with different goals, for some it’s their first tournament, others are here to win, and some are here to learn and gain experience as they advance their game.”
Video interviews can be viewed here:
Official scores for the event can be found here: https://www.nb3jgt.com/Scoreboard?TournamentID=22075
