The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Professionals membership has selected the recipients of the annual section Teacher, Professional, Coach, and Junior Golf Leadership awards. Each of the six sections of the LPGA Professionals—Central, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Western, and International—winners are selected by the Section Officers and Section Nominating Committee Chair annually in each of the four categories.
Mackenzie Mack has been selected as the 2024 LPGA Western Section Professional of the Year. She also received the honor in 2023 and 2022. Mackenzie’s commitment to golf extends to the corporate world, where she completed Callaway Golf Company’s Leadership Rotational Program and now serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Engagement. Her primary goal is to share the enriching experiences of golf with as many people as possible.
Mackenzie is a versatile figure in the golf community, excelling as a competitor, teacher, and student of the game. With an impressive junior career that includes participation in prestigious events and recognition as one of GolfWeek’s top 100 junior golfers, Mackenzie earned a full golf scholarship to Indiana State University. There, she made history as the first black woman on the Women’s Golf Team, graduating with honors in Marketing and minors in Finance and Spanish.
Beyond her academic achievements, Mackenzie obtained an MBA and co-founded the non-profit organization Tee it Up, Inc., which is dedicated to expanding golf’s reach to underserved communities. She also coached the ISU Women’s Golf Team and received a grant to teach golf in Germany.
As a teaching professional, Mackenzie holds certifications from LPGA Professionals, PGA of America, TPI, US Kids, and First Tee. She has made notable contributions as Senior Program Director for the First Tee of Tampa Bay and Associate Executive Director of The First Tee of Tennessee, while also directing a successful US Kids Local Tournament.
The LPGA Executive Committee will select the overall national award winner in each category from among the section award winners. The national winners will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2024 LPGA Professionals Section Of The Year Award winners are as follows:
Central Section
Teacher – Nicole Cavarra
Professional – Marci Bozarth
Coach – Stefanie Ferguson
Junior Leader – Courtney Mahon
Midwest Section
Teacher – Janean Murphy
Junior Leader – Lisa Grimes
Northeast Section
Teacher – Kelley Brooke
Professional – Debbie O’Connell
Coach – Patricia Frohna-Post
Junior Leader – Pam Boccaccio
Southeast Section
Teacher – Megan Johnston
Professional – Cathy Edelen
Coach – Lyndsey Bevill
Junior Leader – Ashaunta Epps
Western Section
Teacher – Gina Umeck
Professional – Mackenzie Mack
Coach – Erin Szekely
Junior Leader – Taronne Atley
International Section
Professional – Satomi Sugiyama
Coach – Jiyeun Seo
Junior Leader – Yoshie Koyama
