Willie Mack III is now closer to his goal of playing on the PGA Tour regularly.
APGA Tour Player-of-the-Year and mini-tour legend, 34-years-old, made three birdies and an eagle in the final round at Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School. This was to ensure he would start in the first eight events of this season.
He said, “It’s been a long way coming,” he stated on Sirius/XM PGA Tour Radio’s “Hitting The Green with Sobel & the Caddie.”
Mack, who began the day T41 and had already achieved conditional status through the second stage Q-School for his first, had to drop low on Monday as Nos. Lock-up begins for 11-40 (and tied) in the eight first events, while Nos. 41 and higher will likely get some starts, depending on their final numbers.
Mack jumped out of the gates hot and parred the last 11 holes to shoot 5-under-66 and a total of 72-holes of 7-under-277 at The Landings, Savannah, Georgia.
There are only three Black golfers currently on the PGA Tour: Tiger Woods and Cameron Champ, as well as Joseph Bramlett.
Mack played at Bethune-Cookman college, a historically Black college, in Daytona Beach. He has participated in six career PGA Tour events with sponsorship exemptions. He also made four previous Korn Ferry Tour starts. One of these was a T-62 at 2021 BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Mack was forced to sleep in his car for the next year and a quarter to save money. He set his car on fire while driving on Interstate 95 but he was unable to save his clubs and all his possessions.
He said, “I am aware of all the sacrifices my dad made for me,” he added. “I knew that I wasn’t going to give up on them, so I kept going. It worked out well.
Eight members of the APGA Tour were invited by the PGA Tour to Mack’s TPC Sawgrass visit. Also, a visit was made to the PGA Tour Academy where Todd Anderson, director of golf, met with the guests. His pupils include Brandt Sneker and Billy Horschel. This experience changed Mack’s professional life.
Mack said, “(Anderson), I have the game to participate on the Tour.” Mack recalled, “He said that I hit the ball exactly like them.” It meant everything to me.”
Mack credits the APGA Tour for his progress as a player and believes his success will be passed on to future players.
He said, “Just me being out there and playing well I think that gives them confidence to do so in the near future.”
Mack has eight starts, but Mack knows there is more to come. He hopes to win three more times next season to earn a Battlefield Promotion to the big leagues. Or finish in the top 30 to be given a PGA Tour card for 2024.
He stated, “My dream is win three times and get on the PGA Tour.” “That’s my goal, and if that fails, I will make sure to get in the top 30 on this money list to get on the PGA Tour.”
He is one step closer to making it a reality.
