Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation hits notable milestone as it celebrates its 25th anniversary
Tiger Woods to concentrate on Willie Mack at Genesis Invitational
Tiger Woods will be concentrating on hosting duties instead of competing at the Genesis Invitational as he recovers from his fifth back operation.
And the 15-time major winner will be paying special attention to the exploits of a 32-year-old mini-tour veteran making just the second PGA Tour appearance of his career at Riviera Country Club.
Willie Mack III is playing the £6.7million event after receiving the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption given to a deserving minority golfer, as chosen by the Tiger Woods Foundation.
Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream. @thegenesisinv https://t.co/QrKjueiGJp
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) January 19, 2021
Sifford was the first African-American to play on the PGA Tour and Mack understands how important it is to carry on his legacy, even though he was initially reluctant to share his history of financial struggles, which included a spell of sleeping in his car.
“It’s kind of like the Jackie Robinson of golf,” Mack told a pre-tournament press conference. “And who knows if Tiger would be who Tiger is today if it wasn’t for him.
“I’m a quiet guy. I actually never told my story or situation to anybody… I think maybe in the early stages of it happening it was maybe a little bit embarrassing, but I’m glad I went through it and it made me a better man and a better golfer today.”
Mack was talented enough to draw interest from a few good colleges, but his grades were average and none of the top schools offered the full scholarship that he needed.
Willie Mack III, the Charles Sifford Memorial Exemption recipient at this week’s @thegenesisinv , visits with media during a virtual press conference pic.twitter.com/MHC7soHn0n
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) February 16, 2021
One that did was Bethune-Cookman, a historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he won 11 times as an individual and was instrumental in the NCAA Minority Championship winning team in 2008.
However, even after becoming the first African-American to win the Michigan Amateur title in 2011, Mack struggled to attract sponsors and turned professional before returning to Florida to compete on local mini tours.
Money remained tight – on one occasion he paid a 100USD entry fee to a tournament with just 110USD in his account – and for around 18 months Mack opted to sleep mainly in his Ford Mustang.
The ROARS will return to Riv pic.twitter.com/gSSVNhiei3
— The Genesis Invitational (@thegenesisinv) February 15, 2021
“When I was sleeping in the car, I actually won the (Florida Pro Golf Tour) money list that year, so I was making some money, but you have to make a decision to either get a hotel and spend some extra money or play in the next tournament or eat,” Mack said.
“I still know the dollar menu at McDonald’s to this day from that. Yeah, it was rough.”
Even when Mack was able to upgrade his car, things did not exactly go smoothly, the engine of his 2012 Kia Optima exploded on Interstate 95 just days after it was inspected in a company recall.
The dramatic video surfaced on social media and a GoFundMe page started by one of Mack’s friends raised more than 6,500USD in donations, while Titleist and Peter Millar also chipped in.
🔥@Kia_Motors🔥 days after a recall inspection @Willie_Mack_III car blew up in central Florida! Only thing he salvaged was his clubs, and his life. pic.twitter.com/0Nr3grZ1n6
— Doug Smith (@DouglasFresh8) November 17, 2018
Mack now has a two-year sponsorship agreement with Farmers Insurance that helps cover his expenses on the Florida Professional Golf Tour, and the Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour, a non-profit organisation that aims to bring more diversity to the game.
“I want to be on the PGA Tour,” added Mack, who was a last-minute addition to the field for the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of January after his good friend Kamaui Johnson had to withdraw when he tested positive for Covid-19.
“I’m 32 (but) I don’t think I’m that old yet. I think I have a little bit of time. Hopefully this week I can play well and make something out of it.
“I had a better preparation for this tournament than Torrey Pines (where he missed the cut) and hopefully I can come out here and play well.”
We empower students to pursue their passions through education.
For nearly 25 years, we have worked to create a world where opportunity is universal and potential is limitless. With an unwavering commitment to impact an entire generation, our mission is to empower students to pursue their passions through education. We are pioneers in positive youth development, encouraging self-advocacy skills in young people. Our programs foster a growth mindset, instilling in students the strength and skills to persevere and define their own path.
Through our award-winning STEM curricula, college-access programs, digital platforms and educator professional development, TGR Foundation offers underrepresented students the resources and support needed to thrive in school and beyond.
A Message From Tiger
“Our purpose is to equip kids with a solid education and the mindset to persevere. We are quietly impacting an entire generation for the better.”
— Tiger Woods
When the foundation launched in 1996, I was 20 years old. I knew our junior golf program and the grants were having a positive impact, but the tragedy of 9/11 made me realize we needed to do more. I wanted a permanent, safe space for kids to explore their dreams. From there, we created the TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim and the Earl Woods Scholar Program, honoring my dad.
Over twenty years later, the results speak for themselves. We worked in STEM before it was a common acronym. To date, the TGR Learning Lab has served more than 165,000 students. We’ve introduced 85,000 girls to STEM careers and reached 1,000 educators annually, bringing them professional-development programs in STEM education.
We’ve also been pioneers in positive youth development, building resilience and developing self-advocacy skills in young people. Research shows this is critical to long-term success in life. We believe that if we give every student access to educational resources and show them that their self-worth is not defined by where they come from or the color of their skin, they will be unstoppable.
Our Earl Woods Scholars embody that tenacity, blazing trails to become tomorrow’s innovators, creators and leaders. At 98.7%, we have one of the highest college graduation rates among scholarship programs in the U.S. And our unique one-to-one philosophy provides critical support to our first-generation college students.
For the last two decades, we’ve done more for children who have less. And now we’re expanding our reach through TGR EDU: Explore, providing our award-winning programs to millions of students, teachers and families worldwide.
Quality educational resources can transform students and schools. They have the long-term power to impact crime, generational poverty and unemployment. I’m dedicated to the growth of this important work. We are just getting started.
Tiger Woods, Founder
Tiger Woods is joined at last year’s Genesis Invitational by one of the students honored as a Earl Woods scholar through the TGR Foundation.
Students enter the TGR Foundation Learning Lab in Anaheim, Calif.
