Colombian Star Villegas Tops Notah Begay Skins Game With Highest Earnings

Verona, NY (AHN) - Colombian Camilo Villegas won $220,000 in the skins game of the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at Turning Stone Resort's Atunyote Golf Club Tuesday.

Villegas outplayed Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink and Notah Begay III in claiming the inaugural event's highest earnings.

His superb finish on the extra hole gave him the win, his second in the same game format following his victory in the World Skins Game in Canada two months ago.

That victory won Villegas more than $200,000 but his earnings Tuesday came at a harder pace, especially against Singh, who was coming off a playoff win at The Barclays, the first playoff event in the FedEx Cup points race.

The Fiji native captured two holes to come away with $180,000 while Cink won one hole for $100,000.

The tournament had set hole earnings as such: $10,000 each for the first six holes, $20,000 for the next six, $50,000 for hole 13 through 17 and $70,000 for the final hole.

The event was held to support Native American youth and communities. It is part of the various programs under the Notah Begay III Foundation, which was created in 2005.

Begay, the PGA Tour's only Native American player, had hoped to see Tiger Woods on the first-year tournament. The two were college roommates at Stanford.