Prominent professional golfer and 15-time APGA Tour winner Willie Mack III has been granted a sponsor exemption to play in the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open, which will be held at Torrey Pines Golf Course from Wednesday, Jan. 22, to Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, according to a statement released by Farmers Insurance and the Century Club of San Diego.
Mack III, who hails from Flint, Michigan, was granted the exemption in 2021 and has since made significant progress both on and off the APGA Tour. He earned his way to the U.S. Open Final Qualifying by winning a three-man playoff, making him one of the first players from the APGA Tour to play in the U.S. Open this year.
Farmers Insurance supports the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour and its efforts to promote diversity in golf. The APGA’s main goal is to level the playing field for minority collegiate, professional and aspiring golfers. To help players improve in their careers and overall growth in golf, the APGA ensures that each golfer has access to the right tools and resources both on and off the course.
“I am honored to receive this exemption to participate in the Farmers Insurance Open for the second time in my career,” Mack III said in the statement. “This season has been life-changing for me professionally and personally, and the support of Farmers has played an integral role in my success. I hope to make them proud!”
A Farmers Insurance brand ambassador since 2020, Mack III has accumulated more than 70 professional wins over his 13-year career. A standout player on the course, he is a dominant force with victories that include the APGA Tour Championship and Billy Horschel Invitational at TPC Sawgrass in recent years. Earlier this season, Mack III also claimed the 2024 JOHN SHIPPEN Men’s Invitational, earning him a spot in the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in his home state of Michigan.
Mack III’s college career started at Bethune Cookman University where he won 11 college tournaments for the Florida HBCU. After college, he went on to win the Michigan Amateur Championship, making history as the first African American. He faced a number of difficulties during his career, including homelessness. He used to compete on golf courses and would then go sleep in his car. He is a true testament of perseverance. After making his PGA Tour debut at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2021, Mack III was awarded the Charlie Sifford Memorial exemption to play in The Genesis Invitational by Tiger Woods a month later.
We cannot wait to see how he performs at the Farmers Insurance Open.
