Golfer Willie Mack III joined a historic group of athletes this morning when he debuted in his first major on the PGA Tour since starting his pro career in 2011. The Bethune-Cookman alum is the third golfer from a Historically Black College or University to play in a major, joining legendary golfer and Morgan State alum Jim Thorpe and Adrian Stills of South Carolina State University.
The 35-year-old was the fifth and final qualifier from the USGA event hosted in Jupiter, Florida. 687 amateur and pro golfers competed for 44 spots to reach the Open, and the Flint, Michigan native took full advantage of the opportunity. This weekend presents him with a significant chance to make a splash and generate some buzz that could lead to formidable opportunities based on his performance.
Mack spoke with the media about his hard work to reach this point.
“It’s been a grind, not only this year but the last 11-12 years I’ve been a professional golfer… Just being able to show everybody that you can come from not the best places in the world and still succeed truly means a lot to me, and hopefully, I can represent Flint, Michigan to the best of my abilities.”
Mack has started through eight holes tied for the lead. A true Rocky story that media members will undoubtedly cover this weekend.
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