Associated Press
Wednesday, June 28

CROMWELL, Conn. -- Notah Begay III was on Cloud Nine last week, is in Connecticut this week and is aiming to be in Virginia this fall.

	Begay is 15th in the race for a spot on the Presidents Cup team in October.

Fresh off his third career victory with a one-stroke win at the St. Jude Classic, Begay said he's back on track to make his preseason goal -- playing on the Presidents Cup team.

"That's my motivation. To play for the U.S." Begay said Wednesday on the eve of the Canon Greater Hartford Open.

The top 10 players over a two-year span on the PGA Tour money list get an automatic bid to play on the team that will face the Europeans in Lake Manassas, Va. in October. The St. Jude win boosted Begay from 24th to No. 15 on the list.

It was nearly a dream deferred because of his well-documented drunken driving arrest on Jan. 20, in Albuquerque, N.M., and subsequent seven-day jail term.

After that setback, that "bump in the road," as he refers to it, Begay missed the cut in five of 10 tournaments.

He forgave himself, used the experience to teach others -- especially other young Native Americans -- and hired his brother, Clint, as his caddie.

"Once my brother got on the bag, we really started having fun," he said. "Last week's win put me right back in the race. Another win, a couple of top-10 finishes and I'm pretty close to getting in there."

A big help to getting him back on track was a gutsy shot on the par-5, 528-yard 16th in Sunday's final round. Twenty yards from the hole and off the green, Begay went right at the pin with his lob wedge and landed the ball within 3 feet then made the birdie putt.

It impressed a lot of folks, including an old college teammate -- Tiger Woods.

"He called me last night and gave me a hard time," Begay said. "He said 'How the heck did you get that ball to stop on 16. You'll have to show me.' "

Begay is making his second GHO appearance after finishing tied for 14th last year at the TPC at River Highlands. The winner takes home $504,000 in the $2.8 million tournament, sponsored by Canon.

Brent Geiberger begins defense of his title Thursday, trying to become the first back-to-back GHO winner. His victory by three strokes last year was his only on tour.

"It's a good challenge for me. I never had the opportunity to defend," said Geiberger, whose father, Al Geiberger, was the first player on tour to shoot a 59.

Back problems took the younger Geiberger out of his rhythm early this year. He took last week off to prepare for the GHO and next week's Western Open.

"I'm playing catchup. My back is OK as long as I stay loose," said Geiberger, who set 36- and 54-hole records here last year.

This week is all about recall.

"I picture good shots on the holes," he said. "I feel a lot of confidence out here."

Others in the field include Hal Sutton, second on the money list behind Woods, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Jim Furyk and Stewart Cink.