Willie Mack III Wins 2022 APGA Golf Event
APGA Tour star Willie Mack III won the Butterfield Bermuda APGA Championship, earning a sponsor exemption into Bermuda’s PGA TOUR event.
A spokesperson said, “APGA Tour star Willie Mack III emerged victorious, gaining a sponsor exemption into Bermuda’s PGA TOUR event. The Butterfield Bermuda Championship will be contested later this month [October 27-30] at Port Royal Golf Course.
“In a three-man playoff, thanks to a tap-in par on the first extra hole, Mack captured the Butterfield Bermuda APGA Championship Wednesday at Port Royal. It was the first international competition in the history of the burgeoning APGA Tour.
“First round leader Joseph Hooks of Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Marcus Byrd of Washington D.C. joined Mack in the playoff after a competitive back nine left them all at four-under-par 138. The threesome replayed the 18th hole, and Mack secured his par before Byrd and Hooks missed the putts needed to extend the battle. Mack won the first-place check of $15,000 from the purse of $60,000, the fourth largest in the history of the APGA Tour as well as gaining a sponsor’s exemption into the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in two weeks’ time.
Slideshow from day two of Butterfield Bermuda Championship APGA Tour
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“Mack sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole Wednesday to start his charge from three strokes back, and all three held the lead down the stretch in windy conditions on the 6,842-yard par 71 Port Royal layout. He has upwards of 70 wins on the APGA Tour and mini-tours over the years and made the cut in two PGA TOUR events during the summer of 2021 as part of his journey in professional golf. Mack advanced out of the first stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School last month at Championsgate Golf Club in Championsgate, Florida.”
“I tried not to make mistakes today,” stated Mack, who battled injuries earlier in the year and is now feeling confident with next week’s challenge of the second stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School.
This commences next week at Plantation Preserve Golf Club in Plantation, Florida, where he hopes to break through following multiple near-misses in recent years. At 34 years old, Mack from Flint, Michigan, now carries another tournament win into Korn Ferry Tour Q-School and has secured his position at Bermuda’s PGA TOUR event the week after. “My putting was there today when I needed it. Hopefully, I can bring what I accomplished this week into next week. It was good to play a PGA TOUR-level course these last two days.”
The spokesperson said, “Christian Heavens of Fairview Heights, Illinois, finished in fourth place at 71-68-139, with Joey Stills of Orlando in fifth at 71-70-141 and Ryan Alford of Shreveport, Louisiana, in sixth at even par 142. APGA Tour Player of the Year Kamaiu Johnson of Oviedo, Florida, and Aaron Grimes of Compton, California, tied for seventh.
“Among the Bermudian participants in the tournament, Damian Palanyandi shot 73-75-148, finishing 13th; Camiko Smith shot 78-76-154, finishing 18th; Oliver Betschart carded a 74-83-157 for 20th; and Cory Desilva registered a 87-78-165, placing 21st.
“The invitational tournament was hosted and sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Butterfield, The Hamilton Princess and Beach Club and Life & Annuity Services [LAS]. The APGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Fall Series resumes later this month with the APGA Tour Charlie Sifford Centennial at Kingswood Forest Golf Club, October 25-26, in Houston, Texas. Byrd, winner of the APGA Tour Valley Forge, and Brad Adamonis, winner of the Ascension Classic/APGA Tour St. Louis, are tied atop the Fall Series Point Standings with 600 points. The season culminates Nov. 8-10 with the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale at Tustin Ranch Golf Club in Tustin Ranch, California.
“The APGA Tour was established in 2010 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. The Tour continues to grow from seven events with $200,000 in prize money in 2020 to 14 events with over $400,000 in prize money in 2021 to 18 events with over $900,000 in prize and bonus money in 2022.
“The Butterfield Bermuda Championship looks forward to welcoming Willie Mack III back to Bermuda in two weeks’ time to play in Bermuda’s PGA TOUR event.”
