Camilo Villegas apparently likes the skins game format.

The Colombian won a chipoff on Tuesday against Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, and Notah Begay III to walk away with top money at the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at the Atunyote Golf Club in Vernon, New York.

Camilo Villegas tees off on the second green during the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at Atunyote Golf Course in Vernon, New York on Tuesday. The Colombian won by beating Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink and Notah Begay.

Villegas' winning pitch on the extra hole of the skins game competition boosted his earnings for the day to US$220,000. Singh won two holes to finish with US$180,000, and Cink finished with one skin worth US$100,000 from the total purse of US$500,000.

The event, a collaboration between the Oneida Indian Nation of New York and San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians of California, is an effort to aide Native American youth and their communities.

"We're lucky to do what we do," said Villegas, who won US$200,000 at the two-day World Skins Game in June in Canada. "If we get a chance to help make an impact on a kid's life, that's why we're here."

The first six holes were worth US$10,000 apiece, the second six US$20,000, holes 13 through 17 were worth US$50,000 each, and No. 18 was worth US$70,000.

It was tough to score a skin despite picture-perfect weather. When Villegas hit a 250-yard fairway shot to within a foot of the pin at the par-5 fifth hole to set up an easy eagle, Weir nullified it with an 18-foot eagle putt. "I felt like I played pretty good," Weir said. "But that's skins. You've got to time it right."

The Notah Begay III Foundation was established in 2005 to create sustainable programs that are designed by Native Americans for Native American youth. The NB3 Challenge was its first national event.

About the only thing missing was Tiger Woods, Begay's college roommate at Stanford University. Woods had committed to playing before he was sidelined for the season with a knee injury.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily August 28, 2008)