LOS ANGELES – Tournament Host Tiger Woods announced Willie Mack III as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field. Awarded since 2009, the exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “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.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. For the latest news and information, follow the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheGenesisInv.
About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about The Genesis Invitational, visit GenesisInvitational.com and follow the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheGenesisInv.
About TGR Live, A Tiger Woods Venture
For more than 20 years, TGR Live has exclusively organized and managed fundraising events supporting the TGR Foundation. It focuses solely on creating amazing experiences for the foundation’s clients at world-class events. TGR Live provides a variety of services including hospitality management, public relations and marketing, tournament operations, and sponsor sales at PGA TOUR and signature events which benefit the foundation. While many TGR Live events are televised, TGR Live does not provide TV or video production. For more information, visit TGRLive.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TGRLiveEvents.
About TGR Foundation
For 25 years, TGR Foundation has worked to create a world where opportunity is universal and potential is limitless. With an unwavering commitment to impact youth of every generation, its mission is to empower students to pursue their passions through education. Through award-winning STEM curricula, college-access programs, digital platforms and educator professional development, TGR Foundation provides resources and support to students, educators and families to reach underserved youth and help them thrive personally and professionally. Mentorship, career guidance, specialized workshops and one-on-one support allows the foundation to meet the needs of the whole student and guide them as they connect their passions to their purpose. Since its launch in 1996, TGR Foundation’s education and outreach programs have impacted two million youth worldwide. To celebrate 25 years of impact, its new Pathways Forward initiative will provide support to enhance current education programs while expanding resources to more students on their pathways to college and career success. For more information visit TGRFoundation.org or connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Genesis Motor America
Genesis Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California. Genesis is a global automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design, and innovation. Genesis offers a range of models including the G70 sport sedan, G80 executive sedan, the flagship G90 sedan, and the GV80 sport utility vehicle.
All Genesis vehicles are covered by an industry-leading warranty that includes a 10-year / 100,000-mile powertrain warranty with enhanced roadside assistance and concierge services including:
- Three years / 36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance
- Three years / 36,000 miles of complimentary Genesis Service Valet care
- Three years of complimentary Genesis Connected Services
- Three months of complimentary SiriusXM® Satellite Radio All Access
- Three years of complimentary Annual Multimedia and Navigation Updates and lifetime complimentary traffic data via HD+ Traffic radio.
Genesis was ranked the #1 premium brand in the industry for the fourth consecutive year in J.D. Power’s 2020 Initial Quality Study (IQS), was named #1 overall in the J.D. Power 2020 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the #2 brand in the annual Consumer Reports 2020 Report Card rankings. The Genesis G70 luxury sport sedan has won 21 major awards and accolades. Earlier this year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded all three 2020 Genesis vehicles; G70, G80 and G90 with their highest rating of Top Safety Pick+. Genesis is the only brand in the industry whose entire portfolio is Top Safety Pick+ rated.
For more information on Genesis, please visit www.genesis.com.
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