"I've evolved out of that a little bit" - Notah Begay III embraces role as Lead Analyst for NBC, shifts focus from being "The Tiger Guy"
The Valspar Championship will be unforgettable for Notah Begay III, although not from the field. The former player and current NBC on-course reporter will take a new step in his broadcasting career.
Notah Begay III will take a spot in the NBC broadcast booth during the Valspar Championship as the lead commentator. While Begay has spent over 10 years on the network's broadcasts in varying roles, he will make his debut as the broadcast's headliner at the Valspar Championship.
Speaking on the subject, Notah Begay III recalled that in his early days, he was known as "the Tiger Guy" due to his well-known friendship with Tiger Woods. Begay was quoted as saying (via Golf Digest):
"Initially, and for good reason, a lot of people thought I was just brought in to be the quote-unquote 'Tiger guy.' Thankfully, I think I've evolved out of that a little bit, because if he retires anytime soon, and I'm still the Tiger guys, I'm out of a job."
Notah Begay III also touched on the new opportunity as the lead commentator:
"I'm excited and nervous. If we go back to Johnny [Miller], he made it look so simple and spoke from a strong position of experience. Paul [Azinger] did a wonderful job with his energy, and you could tell he still really loved to watch the game of golf."
"I mean, there's a definite pressure, but that's what professional athletes deal with all the time. I spent a career dealing with pressure. ... It's a different kind of pressure because you're being critiqued and evaluated, and that's OK. We should be scrutinized, and called out when we make mistakes, because we should be ready for the big moments."
NBC has been testing different commentators to replace Paul Azinger. Kevin Kisner, Brandel Chamblee, and Luke Donald among others have passed through the former commentator's booth. Notah Begay III now joins this list.
A look into the friendship between Notah Begay III and Tiger Woods
Notah Begay III has been friends with Tiger Woods since his youth. The two met while sharing a team at Stanford University. They then continued to overlap throughout their respective careers.
Begay turned pro a year before Woods (1995), but did not earn his PGA Tour card until 1999, when his friend was already a Tour star.
Begay won four PGA Tour tournaments between 1999 and 2000, while also finishing T8 at the PGA Championship in 2000, which his friend Woods won at Valhalla. That same year, they were on the same team that won the Presidents Cup.
After the 2000 season, Begay began to suffer from back injuries that affected him for the rest of his career. Although he played for nearly 10 more years in different circuits, he was never able to regain the sporting form that brought him his best results.