Willie Mack III is different in so many ways to the others who made it into this year's John Deere Classic field via a sponsor exemption.
He is 32 years old while many of the others getting invitations to participate in the $6.2 million PGA Tour event are 20-somethings right out of college.
He has had the opportunity to experience PGA Tour events in the past, including last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic in his home state of Michigan.
He has been on the professional grind — logging 65 mini-tour victories — for over 10 years, as long as some of the other invitees have been playing golf.
He is also Black.
While that personal profile isn't the norm for pro golfers — especially at the game's highest level — Mack doesn't let that deter him from chasing his dream.
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“Once I get on the course, it's kind of the same,” said Mack of just being one of the guys playing the game. “I know most of the players, so if it was an issue it would be outside of the course. But there's not really different pressure than just going out there and playing. Some other players might, but I just take it like you gotta tee it up like anybody else and let the clubs talk for themselves.”
He does, though, take pride in being a role model for all kids chasing their dreams no matter their race, background or opportunities.
“For sure. Just playing this week and seeing a lot of the kids out there — white, black, it's inspiring to be able to be a player out there ...” he said of young golfers looking up to him. “I always went to hit golf balls with my dad and I was always that little kid looking up to people that were playing the game. Just being able to be that person inside the ropes now is pretty exciting.”
Mack had a pretty exciting Rocket Mortgage Classic week.
Playing in his home state in front of a nice contingent of family and friends, Mack made his first PGA Tour cut and cashed his first PGA Tour check. With rounds of 68-73-72-71, Mack tied for 71st in the 77-player weekend field and earned a check for just over $15,000. It was a far cry from the $1 million-plus Cam Davis earned at the other end of the leaderboard for his first Tour win.
But the Flint, Mich., native also knew there was no way to put a monetary value on the experience of playing in Michigan with his own gallery following and offering its support.
“It was special to be able to make my first cut on the PGA Tour in my home state where I had a lot of friends and family there,” said Mack, who had two other starts earlier this season that resulted in missed-cuts at the Genesis Invitational and the Farmers Insurance Open. “That was actually the first time at a PGA Tour event that my parents could come. It was super exciting.”
Talking Sunday from a Detroit airport awaiting his flight to the Quad-Cities for this week's 50th anniversary JDC event, Mack said he was looking forward to building on last week's experience.
“Just the confidence that I can play out here,” he said of the biggest takeaway. “I didn't have my best, but not my worst either. I just have to make a few more putts.”
He birdied two of his last six holes at the Detroit Golf Club course to finish with a 1-under 71 on Sunday and 4-under for the tournament.
“Hopefully I found something on the last couple of holes, some birdies I made,” he said. “Hopefully I can take that into next week at the John Deere.”
When Mack tees it up in the tourney on Thursday at TPC Deere Run, he will be doing so with another advantage over the other invitees. He will have familiarity on his side.
While this is his first PGA Tour event here in the Quad-Cities, it is not his first foray around Deere Run. In 2019, he finished third here in an event on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour and he hopes to come back to the Quad-Cities bringing some good vibes with him.
“I think it's a big advantage knowing that you played well there and get to go back and play a PGA Tour event there in those conditions,” Mack said. “It's always nice to have played a course before you tee it up in a tournament.”
He is expecting to see slightly different conditions this week and got his first look at the course Monday playing in that pro-am event.
“Last time I played it it was pretty wet,” said Mack, who has also toiled on the Korn Ferry Tour. “Hopefully it's firmer and plays shorter. I remember some of the holes and I'm excited to get back out there again. I really liked the course … I remember you have to hit it straight and make putts.”
Which he is hoping to prove he can do with the best of them this week at the JDC.
