Notah Begay's 'little brother'

Clint Begay — all 300 pounds of him — carves out a career as a caddie

David Teel | McClatchy Newspapers

5/11/2008 - 5/12/08

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The quick smile and affable manner are familiar. So, too, the hoop earrings and Native American features.

The offensive lineman's build? Not so much.

But what's 100-plus pounds among brothers?

Clint Begay is the bigger, younger one. You can't miss him at this week's LPGA tournament at Kingsmill as he caddies for Dorothy Delasin.

Notah Begay III is the more renowned one. You may remember him winning the PGA Tour event here in 1999.

"I get good vibes whenever I come back," Clint said. "I see his picture in the clubhouse and I remember watching him here on TV."

Clint owes his career, in part, to Notah.

Notah owes his health, in part, to Clint.

The story begins in January 2000, three months after Notah's victory at Kingsmill. Back home in New Mexico, he was arrested for driving under the influence.

Notah immediately reached out to his brother. Then between his junior and senior years of college at Hawaii-Hilo, Clint agreed to caddie for Notah during that summer of 2000.

No matter that Clint had never caddied. No matter that he had other plans. His brother needed him.

"I didn't read any greens or do any (yardage) numbers," Clint said. "I just lugged the bag and tried to be supportive. It was more to be there with him."

Their first tournament was Jack Nicklaus' Memorial, where during a practice round Vijay Singh mocked Cliff's sloppy attire. But Notah made his first cut in weeks, and a team was born.

The bonding served both well.

An economics major at Stanford, Notah made nearly $6 million on the PGA Tour before back ailments relegated him to mini-tours. He's 35, sober and living near Dallas with his wife and their 3-month-old daughter.

Clint connected with Delasin, a friend of Notah's, in 2001 and has been on the bag since. He's 33, single and content dragging his 300 pounds several miles a day on the golf course.

"I get around OK," Clint said. "I know if I lost weight it would probably make my life a little easier. My brother is on me. Dorothy is on me."

Caddies make a weekly salary of between $800 and $1,200, plus a negotiated percentage of purses. The going rates are 10 percent for a victory, 7 percent for a top-five and 5 percent for a top-10.

"It's a tough racket sometimes, but I wouldn't change anything," said Clint, who rents houses on the road with three other caddies. "As a full-blooded American Indian, not too many have traveled the world like I have."

Delasin has four LPGA victories and in January paired with Jennifer Rosales in South Africa to win the Women's World Cup for their native Philippines.

Delasin's connections with the Begays extend far beyond the golf course. Notah's management group handles her finances, and she supports the Begays' soccer and golf programs for Native American youth.

"We're just trying to show the kids a different side of things," Clint said.

A side of life Notah and Clint Begay might never have experienced without golf.