Willie Mack III | Professional Golfer

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Go to TuneIn.com or download the TuneIn app to start listening. We continue. This is Zach Gelb showing the Infinity Sports Network. We now welcome in Willie Mack III. What a story this is. He's going to participate this upcoming weekend in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

He is a Flint, Michigan native, and he just won the John Shipman National Invitational to qualify and get an exemption in this tournament that gets underway in Detroit on Thursday. And Willie is kind enough to join us right now. First off, Willie, congratulations. I know it's been a crazy month and really a crazy last week, but appreciate the time. How you been?

Thank you. I've been pretty good. How have you?

I've been fantastic. So I saw last night I was following you on Instagram that you were at the Tigers game. Big Detroit sports fan, I'm assuming, growing up in Flint? Oh yeah, I love the Tigers. The Lions, even though it's been a rough ride other than last year. But yeah, just me and my brother went.

He's guiding for me this week, so just a little family outing and something to get my mind off of golf and get ready for this week. Yeah, the Lions, man. They're really on the come up. They almost got to the Super Bowl last year. I see the smile on your face, and a lot of people think they could get the job done this year. What are your thoughts on the Lions entering this season? Yeah, hopefully they can rebuild a little bit and they need some help on the defense side, but I think they drafted some people, so hopefully we'll be good this year. You said your brother is going to be on your bag for this weekend.

Just what does that mean to you personally? Oh yeah, he caddied for me last year on Corn Ferry Tour and then caddied for me at sectional and the US Open. So he's been on my road too that I've been on, so hopefully we can keep it going this week. Willie Mack III is here with us right now on the Zach Gelb show. So what does it mean to you to win the John Shippen National Invitational and receive an exemption to actually play once again in the Rocket Mortgage Classic that gets underway in Detroit on Thursday?

Yeah, it's just getting this opportunity. Rocket Mortgage, Dan Gilbert, both sponsoring the tournament and giving us that opportunity to get out here and play in the PGA Tour event is something special. So hopefully I can get out there, play well, and represent not only Michigan, but everybody that plays in John Shippen. Yeah, tell us a little bit more about the John Shippen. Obviously does a great job in growing the game and expanding the game for people of different backgrounds.

But tell us a little bit more about if people are unfamiliar with it. Yeah, he was one of the pioneers for African Americans to try to get out here on the PGA Tour and not even the PGA Tour just to play golf. So just to win his honor. It's been some great, great champions the last couple of years. Tim O'Neill, Wyatt Worthington, and Chase Johnson. So to put my name on that list, it's exciting and hopefully I can keep it going. I know Chase made the cut last year, so hopefully it can be a two-peat.

Oh yeah, that would really be something. Just wondering because the game is obviously growing and we've seen what you've been able to do individually. We'll get into more of your story in just a bit as Willie Mack III is with us. But let's say if a youngster that looks like you came up to you and is really interested in golf and wanted some advice, what would you say, especially some of the opportunities that you now have that weren't there years and years ago?

Yeah, it's just one of the things my dad told me. Just never giving up. Golf always hasn't been the easiest route for me. I've had a lot of ups and downs, but I feel like that's the game of golf too. So just being able to go through those tough times and get to where I am now, that's pretty much what I would tell them and work on their short game.

I think we could all use that advice. I was reading an article about some of the racial prejudice that you had to overcome when you were first starting to start this career or start to actually play golf. Just how did you kind of fight through that?

Because obviously those aren't easy moments for anyone to undergo through. Yeah, the first year I turned pro I played pretty well, missed finals by I think one or two shots. And at that time you could go right to the PGA Tour, so who knows what would happen if I got through there.

But that didn't happen. The next year was pretty tough. Just kind of living out of my car for about a year and a half, hopping around the people's house. But I always say I'm glad I went through those tough times. I feel like it made me a better person and a stronger person on the golf course.

Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up because I read the article. It said you were sleeping on friends' couches. You were sleeping out of your car for a bit. Just tell me a little bit more about that in this journey and this grind to be the person that's sitting in front of us today. Yeah, it's just a grind. I'm not the only person that goes through bad things or rough times. So I feel like everybody has something they're going through.

So it's just a part of my story and I'm glad I overcame it. And we're here at the rocket mortgage this week and hopefully I can put myself in contention. Willie Mack III here with us right now. For people that maybe will see you for the first time this weekend, what could people expect out of your game? How would you kind of describe your game if no one's ever seen you play?

Oh, probably it is a little bit different. I've grown up in Flint. I became like an honorary member here probably like the last 10 years after college. So I play here a million times. So I'm just don't play the game. I usually play here. Be aggressive on the holes I need to be in.

Hopefully it's a good week. How do you look back at the US Open experience? I know everyone's talking about the rocket mortgage classic because that's what you're participating in on Thursday. But your first ever major championship event, how do you kind of look back at the US Open? Yeah, that was. I had it going for the first the first round for about 16 holes.

I think I was in fourth place the whole round, but the course was hard. So I'm glad I got the experience. I feel like I can use that going forward. And hopefully.

I just keep keep rolling. I've been playing well, so hopefully I can just prepare like I have been and execute when I need to need to. Was the experience at all like a little bit surreal? I know you're a professional, right? We you talked about how how well you played the first day of the tournament, but was there like a moment you were like, holy crap, here we are. This is all the work I put in and now I'm teeing off at the US Open.

I don't know. I felt calm the whole week. I'm sorry. Honestly, I know a lot of guys out here just playing in PGA Tour events over the past couple of years, so everybody was congratulating me. Well, happy I was out there and.

Hopefully I can play well this weekend and kind of erase how that second day went. Now we're similar in age, so you know, I grew up loving Tiger Woods. I know you did the same reading about you before Willie Mack, the third, joined us here on the Infinity Sports Network. You got a chance to meet Tiger. I saw on your Instagram in twenty twenty one. Was that the first time you met him?

Had that come about? Oh yeah, we played in the Genesis. I got the Invitational invite and then I actually had lunch with him for about an hour and a half.

So just to talk to him and. See how he did. Did things growing up is that's a moment I'll never forget. Yeah. What do you take from that experience?

Like what did you walk away with it? Oh, he just he he has been following me. He said some of my rounds. And just just keep fighting this is off his heart. So all he said was just just keep fighting and hopefully we'll see me out here on the PGA Tour soon. Now that's pretty damn neat. Hey, talking about the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler has been dominating right now is six victories this year.

We know he just wanted the travelers. Just you understanding how tough it is, you know, playing golf and playing in these tournaments. Just how about what Scottie's doing right now? Yeah, like you said, growing up watching Tiger Woods, he he's kind of going down the path of a Tiger Tiger run down. Down this year, so. He has a long way to catch Tiger.

I think it's another 14 years. He has to keep doing this. But yeah, he's playing well. I think everybody's watching how he's playing and getting around the course and hopefully somebody can start taking them down soon.

Well, we'll see if it could be you. Maybe coming up in a few weeks or something along those lines are wrapping up with Willie Mack the third. I know Scottie isn't playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, but when I was watching about the travelers, I just had like one prevailing thought. You see Bryson DeChambeau win the US Open. We know he's now on live golf. Scottie then has won the Masters this year and we also know has won six events. It's like the big question in this sport, even after the merger with with live golf and the PGA Tour. And there's still so much uncertainty on what's going to happen.

You know, as a golfer, you kind of just hope that maybe everyone gets under one umbrella again in the near future. Yeah. To the first real life store stage, all the way to the did we just hit a million orders stage. Shopify is here to help you grow, whether you're selling scented soap or offering outdoor outfits. Shopify helps you sell everywhere from their all in one e-commerce platform to their in-person POS system. Wherever and whatever you're selling Shopify has got you covered. Shopify helps you turn browsers into buyers with the Internet's best converting checkout.

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But that's that's for them to figure out and me to just keep playing, playing good golf and hopefully get on the PGA Tour full time. Well, before we let you run, I just want to say thanks so much for doing this today. Congratulations. Once again, I'm winning the John Shippen National Invitational and hit him straight. All right. And make sure the short games working started on Thursday in Detroit. Thanks for doing this. All right.

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