Flint, Michigan native Willie Mack III captured the John Shippen Men’s Invitational, securing an exemption into PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. Discover what the skilled golf pro has to say about his game in the post-tournament interview transcript below.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN INVITATIONAL — ROUND 4 QUOTES
June 23, 2024 WILLIE MACK III
WILLIE MACK III: Getting into the fairway, the wind was coming hard from left to right and to try to hit a draw around the corner, that was the first step. Then hitting a good second shot into the green below the hole and then making the putt, cherry on top.
Q. And it was a lot different conditions today versus yesterday. How much of a challenge was it off the tee and just overall today with the wind?
WILLIE MACK III: I was just making some sloppy bogeys in the first eight holes, a couple three-putts. Like I said, I still had a lead, so I knew that in the back of my head. I was trying to keep plugging along, it was rough out there. Nobody was really making a move, so if I could just string together some pars and maybe a couple birdies, it would go my way and I’m glad it did.
Q. It kind of seemed like the energy kind of shifted around, you finished the front nine with a few pars, started back nine with pars and then you got the two birdies. What was that stretch like and how important was it to get those birdies on 12 and 13?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, I was just telling myself I’m playing good. I played good yesterday. It wasn’t as windy, but I’m putting good and I was hitting the ball good. Just keep telling myself I’m hitting the ball and playing good. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but I’m glad this one worked out in my favor.
Q. And how excited are you to be back in the Rocket Mortgage field?
WILLIE MACK II: Oh, yes, I’m super excited. I played in the U.S. Open a week ago and I’m probably more excited to play back in my hometown in Michigan. Hopefully I can play well. This is my first cut made on the PGA TOUR a couple years ago, so hopefully I can play well on Sunday, be in contention and represent everybody in Michigan.
Q. And is there anything that you’re going to be focused on working on between now and Thursday the first round?
WILLIE MACK III: Probably just getting some rest. I’ve been traveling a lot the last couple weeks and I played the course the last three days. I played this course a million times before growing up and hopefully I can just get some rest, get off to a good start and play well this week.
Q. How’s it feel to win?
WILLIE MACK III: It’s always good to win, especially in these tough conditions. Like I said, I played well yesterday. It wasn’t going my way today, but I kind of just stuck in there, keep telling myself I’m playing good and hit some good shots and hopefully something falls and they did in the end.
Q. How much is that rest going to be emotional and how much is going to be physical?
WILLIE MACK III: More probably emotionally. It was a rough time at the U.S. Open. I played well the first round and then I had that last tee time the second day. You had to hit some good shots out there. So I’m going to use that experience and come out here and hopefully try to play well.
Q. After you went long on this tee shot into the grandstands, what was kind of your mentality over the last few holes to try to recover from that?
WILLIE MACK III: I hit a good shot, I must not have judged it correctly with the grandstand, but I didn’t think it could go over the green. It wasn’t that hard of a shot, just kind of left it short, missed. I made a great par save on 17 that was probably about 10 feet. Yeah, just had that momentum going.
Q. Could you just talk a little bit about the opportunity that the John Shippen provides not only to you but other Black players that have been able to come out? Just a pretty cool opportunity to earn an exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic, not only for the men but for the women as well?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, what the John Shippen is doing, giving us an opportunity to come out here and play in a PGA TOUR event and LPGA Tour, these opportunities weren’t necessarily provided when I actually started playing professional golf. So to see the younger players being able to get these opportunities and hone in their skills to when they play on the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour is amazing.
Q. I’m sorry if this was asked already. You have the opportunity to come out here and play next week. Are you able to like look back to 2021 when you got the exemption and sort of draw from that? That was your first PGA TOUR cut, right?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah.
Q. So how do you like draw on that experience to sort of give yourself some confidence going into Thursday?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, for sure. I played this course a million times. Just having that confidence going in there and knowing that I have made the cut. I didn’t play that well on the weekend, but just giving myself the opportunity to play well, hopefully I can run with that and play well this week.
