It’s been a big year for Black pro golfer Willie Mack III, as he was able to play in his first U.S. Open since going pro in 2011 coming out of Bethune Cookman University. With a sport that has continued to grow in Black representation, Mack is an inspiration for those who look like him wanting to get into golf.
Mack spoke with rolling out about the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Black representation in golf and how he would describe the perfect hit.
How would you describe Black representation in golf?
Since I turned pro maybe 12 or 13 years ago, it’s definitely come a long way. Back then it … wasn’t as many African Americans playing. You’ll see a couple — like Michael Jordan played for a while — but a lot of people in the NFL play as well as NBA and baseball players. I feel like now it’s a little bit better than it used to be, but I feel like, in the next five or 10 years, it’ll probably be even better.
What did going to an HBCU do for your golf career?
It was a big change coming from Michigan going down to Florida. It was a little bit more diverse down in Florida than it was in Michigan, so [it was about] just being able to get accustomed to that and meeting people from all over the world. When I was on the team, I was the only American on the team, so I was just learning about everybody else’s countries and how they do things. It was kind of cool.
Why would you suggest someone to attend an HBCU?
At that time I wanted to go somewhere warm. Then I felt like it was just like a brotherhood with everybody trying to do the same thing, so it’s kind of a close-knit relationship. I feel like all the athletes hung out.
Why should more Black people get involved in golf?
I feel like you meet people that you would never meet anywhere else. You meet business people. I know rappers are getting into the game. Some of my best friends literally grew up playing golf. It’s a frustrating sport, but I feel like it can teach you a lot of things about life, like being patient and just trying to kind of focus on things, like the present and not the future.
How would you describe the perfect hit?
When you get the line and the speed correct, and it just all comes together. I play golf every day, and I still don’t realize how you can look at the ground. It’s almost like you visualize it going into the hole, but you have no control over it once you hit it. Still, for it to go into a little hole 500 yards away, it’s still kind of weird to me, even though I’ve been doing it forever. It’s kind of a weird, frustrating sport.
