UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
TOP GOLFER AT B-CU: Willie Mack, III of Grand Blanc, Michigan, one of the top junior golfers in the
nation, was featured in a story in this week's (May 7,
Pg. 106) edition of ESPN the Magazine about young black
golfers turning down major D1 programs to play at black colleges.
Mack, 18, who won last year's prestigious Buick Junior Open in
his hometown, will play his college golf at
Bethune-Cookman. The story says he turned down
offers from Michigan State and Florida to join the Wildcats'
program under the direction of head coach Dr. Gary Freeman
and assistant coach Jack McLairen. "He recruited me," said Freeman Tuesday of Mack who
sent the coach a letter while he was in high school.
Freeman responded with information on B-CU and the young
phenom decided to come. Mack will start his playing career at
B-CU in the fall, joining a team that has just one senior on
this year's squad. B-CU's current roster has four whites,
three blacks and one Hispanic. The B-CU squad will be
competing in next week's (May 11-14) National Minority
College Golf Championship in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Thirty-eight
(38) colleges and 180 contestants will be competing for team
and individual honors at the Wannamaker and Ryder courses
of the PGA Golf Club. Freeman said Tuesday that Mack
will compete as an independent. "I wouldn't be surprised if
he's the medalist down there," said Freeman.
© 2007 Azeez Communications, Inc.