Flint’s Willie Mack to Play in His Own Backyard at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Flint's Willie Mack III is bringing the game home.
Mack has been having the year he has dreamed of since getting his first PGA debut at the 2021 Genesis Invitational as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption for the invitational thanks to Tiger Woods. Now, the Grand Blanc High School alum will bring his "game" back to Michigan and play in his home states PGA tournament event.
Mack is set to tee it up at this year Rocket Mortgage Classic. Tournament officials announced that Mack has received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the $7.5-million Rocket Mortgage Classic June 28-July 4 at Detroit Golf Club. Mack will be playing for the top prize of $1.35 million.
“The Rocket Mortgage Classic has always strived to support golf’s great young talent, and we are pleased to award these opportunities to Willie and Davis,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Willie has a successful track record on the mini-tour circuit and considers Detroit Golf Club a home course, so will certainly have plenty of local support."
Mack, who is 32, played high school golf at Flint Central and then Grand Blanc, where his team won a state championship in 2004. He became the first Black man to win the Michigan Amateur in 2011. After struggling for years, and even living in his car at times, this year has been a turning a point. Mack has picked up sponsorship by Farmers Insurance,which helps him to cover main expenses like travel, and gets him access to better equipment and his training.
Mack is excited about heading home to Michigan to play saying,
“As a young man who grew up nearby in Flint, my father and I attended the Buick Open at Warwick Hills to watch Tiger Woods and other players compete at the highest level for many years,” Mack III said. “Playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic will be extremely meaningful to me because my father still lives in Michigan and will be able to watch me play on the PGA TOUR now. I am well aware of everything the Rocket Mortgage Classic is doing as part of the event’s Changing the Course initiative. The more I pursue my dream of reaching the PGA TOUR, the more I learn and want to push toward another dream of helping create more equality and diversity in the game I love.”
If you want to catch Willie in action, Rocket Mortgage Classic tickets go on sale May 27th. To get more information click here.
Last years local PGA tournament, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, was held without fans. The course was almost eerie being so empty. Take a look below.
A Look at The Ally Challenge without Fans
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