Turning Stone Resort Championship

The 2008 Turning Stone Resort Championship was a tale of two seasons. The first half of the four-day event was hampered by bone-chilling temperatures and winter-like precipitation, while the later rounds were contested in benign autumn conditions that were far more appropriate for the PGA TOUR® Fall Series gathering.

The tournament, held Oct. 2-5 at the Atunyote Golf Club, reached an exciting climax as rookie Dustin Johnson of Myrtle Beach, S.C., birdied the final hole to capture his first victory, by a single stroke, over veteran Australian Robert Allenby. With his win, Johnson earned more than $1 million along with the Championship trophy — a replica of the sculpture “Allies in War, Partners in Peace,” which is on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Not surprisingly, Johnson enjoyed his introductory visit to Oneida homelands. “I thought the tournament was great. It was run very well. The people here are very nice. They definitely wanted us here,” he said. “The golf course is in great shape.”

The on-time Sunday finish seemed in doubt earlier in the week. Thursday’s opening round was marked by steady showers, cool temperatures, and high winds. On Friday, heavy rains morphed into periods of frozen precipitation, forcing two suspensions of play. The welcome warmth of sunshine blanketed Atunyote for the weekend, much to the delight of the players, volunteers, and thousands of fans.

The Turning Stone Resort Championship is the first regularly-scheduled PGA TOUR® event on American Indian lands. In just its second year, the event attracted 132 of the world’s finest golfers, including 32 international players hailing from 11 countries. All four rounds were beamed around the globe on Golf Channel and XM Satellite radio.

Besides Johnson and Allenby, other notable players included Tournament Ambassador Notah Begay III — the only American Indian on the PGA TOUR®; 2007 Champion Steve Flesch; Davis Love III; Steve Elkington; Woody Austin; Lee Janzen; Chris DiMarco; David Duval; Brad Faxon; and Mark Calcavecchia.

Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge

The Oneida Indian Nation proudly hosted, and co-sponsored, the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge (NB3 Challenge), held on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at the Atunyote Golf Club, The event featured Begay and fellow PGA TOUR® stars Stewart Cink, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, and Camilo Villegas playing in a skins game format.

The professionals competed for $500,000 in prize money. Villegas carded the biggest pay day of $220,000. Singh collected $180,000, and Cink earned $100,000. Several thousand fans enjoyed the casual confines of the NB3 Challenge, granting them the rare opportunity to walk inside the ropes with the prominent players.

The Challenge was made possible by the Oneida Indian Nation and the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians of California, demonstrating the partnership of the two Nations in supporting a notable cause.

Proceeds benefited the Notah Begay III Foundation, which he established in 2005 to create sustainable health and wellness programs for American Indian youth, primarily in the form of golf and soccer programs in underserved communities within Indian Country. Begay is the only full-blooded American Indian on the PGA TOUR®.