Tag: APGA

Back-to-back: Willie Mack III captures second APGA Tour Billy Horschel Invitational

“I enjoy this course and it is never easy winning against the competition out here on the APGA Tour.”

It took Willie Mack III 29 holes to make a bogey at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass this week.

Four holes later, he potentially faced a lot worse.

However, the 33-year-old veteran of the Advocates Professional Golf Association minimized the effect of driving into an unplayable lie at the par-4 15th hole and went on to play the final three holes at 1-under on Friday to win his second Billy Horschel APGA Invitational, his third APGA event on the First Coast and his 71st professional victory.

Mack (70) beat Marcus Byrd (74) by four shots at 5-under-par 139 and earned an APGA record first-place check of $40,000, from a total purse of $150,000. Joseph Stills (72) finished solo third and PGA club professional Wyatt Worthington (76) and Aaron Beverly (68, the low round of the tournament) tied for fourth at 1-over.

In addition to the prize money, Mack gets a sponsor invitation to the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in June.

“Don’t get me wrong, the purse and the winner’s check are amazing,” he said. “But the Korn Ferry exemption means more than money. It’s an opportunity for me to go out and play well and work my way on to that tour this year.”

Mack has made two cuts on the PGA Tour playing on sponsor invitations, and he played on the weekend at last year’s BMW.

Mack was in a three-way tie with Byrd and Worthington to start the day and had a solid start, with birdies at Nos. 4 and 7 to take a four-shot lead through 10 holes.

But he made his first bogey of the week at the par-5 11th hole and Byrd birdied it to cut the lead to one shot. Mack rallied with a birdie at No. 12 but when his drive at the 15th hole went right and landed in a bush, the door was open for Byrd, a former Middle Tennessee player from Washington D.C.

However, Mack showed a veteran’s guile. He was unable to drop anywhere near the bush and instead had to drop back and take line-of-sight relief. He hit his third shot into the left bunker and blasted out to a pin cut tight to the trap.

Mack drained the putt, allowing himself a brief fist pump, and Byrd failed to get up-and-down from the left side to leave the margin at three shots.

The two traded birdies at No. 16 and pars at No. 17 but Mack sealed the deal when he hit a hybrid stinger off the 18th tee that split the fairway, and Byrd tugged his tee shot into the water. Mack reached the green and two-putted for par, while Byrd made a bogey putt to hold onto solo second.

Mack said he got the idea of what to hit off the 18th tee with the tournament in balance by watching Justin Thomas hit a similar shot with a 5-wood in the final round of the 2021 Players Championship.

“I enjoy this course and it is never easy winning against the competition out here on the APGA Tour,” Mack said.

Tournament host Billy Horschel of Ponte Vedra Beach, a six-time PGA Tour winner, said winning twice at the Stadium Course, under any format or conditions of competition, is no small feat.

“Any time you get a chance to play here is one thing, but to say you’re a champion at TPC Sawgrass is special, now that he’s done it twice,” Horschel said of Mack. “He played absolutely beautifully. I told him I better not see him here again because he’s going to start the day with a four-shot deficit.”

Mack said Horschel has been a mentor to him since Horschel and the PGA Tour began their involvement with the APGA, which provides playing opportunities to minority golfers.

“Billy and I have had a great relationship over the last year or two,” Mack said. “Personally, it means a lot to be able to count on him for advice. I think his name on this event and the support he has shown our Tour and our guys opens up opportunities for all the other players to get sponsorships and gain experience on a PGA Tour course like TPC Sawgrass.”

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Worthington, Mack, Byrd set the first-round pace at APGA Horschel Invitational

The purse this week is a record $125,000, with $40,000 going to the winner.

Willie Mack III is from Flint, Michigan, and his golf base is in Orlando.

But the 33-year-old mini-tour legend loves playing — and winning — on Florida’s First Coast.

Mack took a step towards capturing an APGA Tour event in the area for a third time in nine months when he carved out a bogey-free 3-under 69 on a sultry, calm Thursday to finish in a three-way tie for the lead with club professional Wyatt Worthington and former Middle Tennessee State golfer Marcus Byrd in the first round of the Billy Horschel Invitational, at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

Mack birdied Nos. 4, 8, and 16 and made a couple of tough 5-foot putts for par to close out the round, the last to convert from the left bunker at No. 18. Worthington, who qualified for the PGA Championship in two weeks at Southern Hills, caught Mack with a two-putt birdie at No. 16 and a tap-in at No. 17 after he cozied a 9-iron to within a foot of the hole.

Wyatt Worthington watches his tee shot sail down the 18th fairway of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass during Thursday’s first round of the APGA Billy Horschel Invitational.

Unlike Mack, Worthington had two stumbles, with bogeys at Nos. 7 and 13.

”It’s Pete Dye,” said Worthington, the head pro at the Golf Depot in Columbus, Ohio. “He makes you think on every tee.”

Byrd, from Washington D.C., who won the Georgia State Junior in 2013 after moving to Atlanta, had the only eagle of the day among the 18-man field, at No. 11.

Mack won at Queen’s Harbour in March and at the Stadium Course last July, in the inaugural Horschel Invitational.  He won $25,000 in that event but thanks to sponsors such as Cisco Systems, the purse this week is a record $125,000, with $40,000 going to the winner.

”I’ve won a lot in Florida, mostly in the winter months,” he said. “Yeah … I like Florida.”

Mack fired his third consecutive 69 at the Stadium Course. He shot 69-69–138 to win the Horschel Invitational last summer.

Mack said he plays his best golf on the toughest courses, where finding the fairway is at a premium, and the Stadium always qualifies, regardless of the time of year.

”Last year it was a lot firmer,” Mack said of the Stadium Course. “The greens are softer this year but a bogey-free round out here is great. It’s one of the hardest courses on the PGA Tour and if you keep it in the fairway, it makes the rounds a little less stressful.”

Mack won his sixth APGA tournament and his 70th professional title at Queen’s Harbour. He also has received sponsor invitations to PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events and has made two PGA Tour cuts — including the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, near his hometown.

He said winning never gets old.

“And in this one, the money is really good,” he said.

APGA Tour Billy Horschel Invitational

At Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass

First round

Willie Mack III 34-35–69

Marcus Byrd 34-35–69

Wyatt Worthington 35-34–69

Rovonta Young 36-35–71

Kamaiu Johnson 36-36–72

Everett Whitten 33-39–72

Ryan Alford 37-35–72

Davin White 37-35–72

Joseph Stills 36-36–72

Troy Taylor II 35-39–74

Mahindra Lutchman 38-36–74

Michael Herrera 35-40–75

Trey Valentine 37-38–75

Mulbe Dillard IV 41-34–75

Kevin Hall 40-36–76

Aaron Beverly 41-36–77

Andrew Walker 39-41–80

Olajuwon Ajanaku 40-41–81

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Michael Herrera wins Advocates Professional Golf Association event at TPC Scottsdale

Michael Herrera, a former basketball player at Riverside City College, now has two victories on the APGA Tour.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Michael Herrera’s strategy for the Advocates Professional Golf Association event at TPC Scottsdale was simple.

Keep the ball in play. Find the middle of the green. Try to sink a 10-foot putt.

At the 18th hole, Herrera followed the first two steps by firing his tee shot in the short grass and landing his next attempt in the middle of the green. Preparing for his third shot, he read the green shifting right 1 ½ inches and on a downward angle.

With wind in his face, he hit the putt firm. The ball eventually rolled to the hole and fell in, achieving the third step of his strategy with one key difference: his attempt was from 30 feet away.

That successful birdie putt ended up winning him the APGA event.

“It means a lot,” said Herrera, who finished the 36-hole tournament at 4 under. “It’s my first two-day win, so it feels great.”

After finishing Monday’s first round down four strokes to leader Daniel Augustus, Herrera sparked his victory Tuesday by notching four birdies to finish his second round at 3 under. For APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley, watching Herrera’s win was a rewarding experience.

Before Herrera turned professional in 2019, he was a basketball player at Riverside City College in California. Coach Philip Mathews noticed his golf skill and called Bentley, his best friend and college roommate, and said he believed Herrera could be a good fit on the APGA Tour.

When Bentley later played a round with him, he quickly noticed Herrera’s talent. As a result, he recommended to Mathews that Herrera shift his focus to golf. The coach then encouraged Herrera to switch sports and told him his decision was rooted in “thinking about your future.”

“Mike (will) tell you it’s the best thing that ever happened to him,” Bentley said. “He was disappointed at first because he loved the game, but you could see immediately the raw talent. The guy hits it long. He’s got good hands.”

When Herrera officially joined the APGA Tour, he received a new set of clubs and lessons from golf instructor Dana Dahlquist, who coached players including current DP World Tour member Robert Rock.

Herrera’s first win came in January 2021 at the Crossings at Carlsbad in California. It would take more than year for his next one, but Herrera has enjoyed his golf journey so far. Additionally, he appreciates the APGA’s work to increase diversity in golf.

“It’s huge, the APGA putting minorities out there to succeed and to come out here and play the best they can. (It’s) just all inspiration. Little kids see us play. It’s a big deal for me and I think it’s a big deal for a lot of people to see minorities out there play.”

This week’s tournament at TPC Scottsdale marked the sixth stop of the APGA Tour’s Lexus Cup, a series that will resume on May 6 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

According to APGA Tour Executive Director Cole Smith, the two-day event represented the successful continuation of the organization’s mission.

“Each event that we play and these guys perform at this level and caliber of play, it just shows you that we’re headed in the right direction,” Smith said. “We’re actually gaining ground on accomplishing what our mission is.”

Kamaiu Johnson wins APGA Tour stop at TPC Las Vegas for second year in a row

Kamaiu Johnson won in Las Vegas for the second year in a row and third time on the APGA Tour.

For Kamaiu Johnson, it was lucky number two in Las Vegas.

Johnson won the Advocates Professional Golf Association’s stop at TPC Las Vegas Tuesday for the second year in a row. It’s also his third win on the circuit.

The two-day, 36-hole event was cut to just a single day of competition after Monday’s first round was called off due to extreme winds that reached 60 MPH in parts of the city.

Johnson shot a 71 Tuesday, two shots ahead of Aaron Beverly, Joseph Hooks, and Willie Mack III.

The key moment for Johnson came on the 591-yard, par-5 15th hole, where he holed out for eagle from 133 yards.

“It bounced a couple of times and then rolled in,” Johnson added. “I saw it the whole way.”

Last week, Johnson and Mack made the trip to Augusta National for the Masters.

The APGA Tour’s next stop will be TPC Scottsdale for a 36-hole tournament Monday and Tuesday.

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With his mom in the gallery, Willie Mack III wins APGA Tour at Queen’s Harbour Championship in a playoff

“Last time she came, I won, so maybe she needs to be out here more often.”

Willie Mack III is a winner again on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour.

Mack poured in a 40-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to hold off Tommy Schaff at the APGA Tour at Queen’s Harbour Championship in Jacksonville.

Mack could’ve won in regulation but he bogeyed the 18th. He got the job done two holes later.

“It’s always good to win. There’s some great players out here and Tommy’s one of them,” said Mack, whose mom was in the gallery.

“It was nice having her here, for sure. Last time she came, I won, so maybe she needs to be out here more often.”

Brad Adamonis finished third, three shots back. Kamaiu Johnson fourth, five back. Five players tied for fifth, including Jarred Garcia and Tim O’Neal, who won APGA Tour at TPC Harding Park in February.

Mack won $7,500 from the $25,000 purse.

The APGA Tour returns April 2-3 with the APGA Tour at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

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Landon Lyons wins APGA Tour stop at TPC Louisiana

Landon Lyons made the most of his return to the Bayou State.

Landon Lyons made the most of his return to the Bayou State.

Lyons made a clutch 25-foot putt for eagle on the 11th hole Tuesday at TPC Louisiana and went on to win the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour tournament located about 50 miles away from where he played college golf at LSU. Lyons was even sporting an LSU sweater during the final round.

Lyons started his final round with 10 pars before posting his eagle. He followed that up with a birdie and went on to win the 36-hole event at 9 under, two shots better than Willie Mack III and Michael Herrera. Philip Barbaree, who grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, finished fourth, three shots back.

“Golf’s a whirlwind of a game,” said Lyons, who finished second a month ago in the APGA Tour’s season opener at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. “Past couple of weeks I was making mistake after mistake, but this week it started to click. It was a surprise.”

Lyons, who has status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, has also made starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and the Mackenzie Tour but sounds truly comfortable on the APGA.

“I’ve played over 30 events on the APGA Tour these past five years or so,” Lyons added. “It’s been amazing to see the progress. It is an awesome thing to be part of.”

The APGA Tour had seven events in 2020, doubled to 14 in 2021, and has grown to 18 this year. Golfers are playing for about $700,000 in prize money.

Next up: The APGA Tour heads to Jacksonville, Florida, March 21-22.

The APGA Tour was established in 2010 with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf by hosting and operating professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs, and introducing the game to inner-city young people.

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Tim O’Neal wins APGA Tour event at TPC Harding Park in dominating fashion

The 49-year-old hopes to one day play on the PGA Tour Champions.

Tim O’Neal has been playing on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour since its inception in 2010 and has long been one of the better players on the circuit. On Tuesday, O’Neal added to his lengthy resume with his win at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. This is his first APGA win of 2022.

O’Neal carded five birdies on his front nine, ultimately pulling away from the rest of the field winning with a final score of 9 under.

The 49-year-old hopes to one day play on the PGA Tour Champions, as his 50th birthday is approaching August 3.

“I was in a good spot confidence-wise coming in,” O’Neal said after his round. “At the end of the day, if I can make putts, I’m in good shape.”

He was the runner-up at the APGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open Invitational a few weeks ago played at Torrey Pines. However, the winner, Patrick Newcomb, passed the Korn Ferry Tour exemption he earned with the victory to O’Neal. Newcomb is already a member of the KFT.

“In my mind, I still have a way to go,” O’Neal said when asked about possibly playing on the Champions tour down the road. “I’m just trying to get better every day so I can compete.”

O’Neal won the first place prize of $7,500 from the $25,000 purse. Willie Mack III, who’s made a few appearances on the PGA Tour, came in 19th.

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NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott to sponsor APGA Tour’s Michael Herrera

The former San Francisco 49ers is the latest athlete to show support for the developmental tour.

When Ronnie Lott was a rookie in the NFL, legendary players like Deacon Jones and Jim Brown helped him grow and develop a career that lasted 14 seasons and earned him 10 Pro Bowl selections, four Super Bowl titles and a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Now Lott is returning the favor to an up-and-coming minority golfer. The former defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers is sponsoring Michael Herrera, a player on the APGA Tour, a developmental tour for minority professional golfers. Lott will cover travel and competition-related expenses for Herrera, who won the APGA Tour season opener in January. In return, Herrera will wear a logo for Lott’s Tracy Toyota during competition.

The two met back in August at the Eighth Annual Cedric “The Entertainer” Celebrity Golf Classic Presented by Lexus on the second tee at Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, California.

“He was real interested in my story and he sees that I have the work ethic needed to give making the PGA Tour my best shot,” said Herrera via a release. “Ronnie Lott cares about diversity and he is interested in the success of the APGA Tour.”

The former defensive back, whose All Stars Helping Kids non-profit has raised $20 million for disadvantaged youth, isn’t the first athlete to support the APGA. Billy Horschel hosted an APGA event at TPC Sawgrass – won by Willie Mack – and Cameron Champ’s foundation is working on fundraising opportunities with the tour.

The APGA Tour continues later this month with the Farmers Insurance Fall Series, which began September 20-22 with APGA Tour Valley Forge. Next up is the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Atlanta Championship, Oct. 17-19 at White Oak Golf Club at the Clubs of Peachtree City in Atlanta. The series concludes with the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale, Nov. 7-9 at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles.

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Willie Mack III wins Mastercard APGA Tour Championship, earns APGA Player of the Year honors

Willie Mack III is now a three-time APGA Player of the Year.

Willie Mack III is now a three-time APGA Player of the Year.

Mack shot an 8-under 64 on Tuesday in the final round of the Advocates Professional Golf Association’s Mastercard APGA Tour Championship at TPC Sugarloaf to claim the circuit’s top prize. He opened with a 65 on Monday.

Mack have five birdies on the back nine to seize control of the 36-hole tournament. With it, he claims the season-long Lexus Cup Point Standings title. He pocketed a total of $27,500 in prize money, combining the tournament winner’s purse of $10,000 with a $17,500 bonus pool prize for performance over eight regular-season events, and he won the use of a Lexus car for a year.

Mack also earned a spot in the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School in September.

“Everything came together pretty well again today,” said Mack. “Including the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, these are the biggest events I’ve played, so this would be one of the top stretches of my career, for sure. I’ve been able to play better with the opportunities that came along. Knowing I can play out there (on the PGA Tour) definitely helps my confidence.”

Mack played the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January and Genesis Invitational in February on sponsor exemptions. He later made the cut at both the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the John Deere Classic.

Patrick Newcomb finished second at TPC Sugarloaf, two strokes back. Tim O’Neal and Aaron Beverly tied for third, four shots back. Landon Lyons was fifth.

Mastercard joined as title sponsor of the APGA Tour Championship on Monday.

The APGA Tour next has an event Sept. 20-22 at Bluestone Country Club in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, called the APGA Tour Valley Forge.

The APGA Tour’s core mission is to bring greater diversity to golf.

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Marcus Byrd claims first title on APGA Tour at TPC Louisiana

Marcus Byrd claimed his first professional title on Tuesday at the APGA event at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans.

Marcus Byrd claimed his first professional title on Tuesday at the APGA event at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans. Byrd closed out a final-round 69 with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole and wrapped up a single-stroke victory over Rafa Guerrero Lauria.

Byrd finished the 36-hole event with an 11-under 133 total. The 23-year-old from Nashville managed to hold off Lauria despite making double-bogey on the 10th hole and Laura throwing out seven consecutive birdies mid-round.

This is only the sixth APGA Tour start for Byrd, who played collegiately for Middle Tennessee State and qualified for the 2020 U.S. Amateur.

“I’m happy with the way I kept my composure.  When a guy makes seven birdies in a row, it gets disconcerting,” said Byrd, who took home the winner’s purse of $7,500.  “I was able to play the best golf I could to get it done, so that’s good.”

APGA Tour
Marcus Byrd competes Tuesday at TPC Louisiana.

Willie Mack took third with a 6-under 141 and now heads to the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina on June 10-13 as a sponsor exemption.

Behind Mack, five players tied for fourth: Patrick Newcomb, Trey Valentine, Landon Lyons, Michael Herrera and Wyatt Worthington. Kevin Hall finished ninth and Tommy Schaff of Ridgeland tied with Ryan Alford for 10th.

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