The program director of First Tee of Tampa Bay is also a member of the LPGA.

TAMPA – Mackenzie Mack, director of First Tee of Tampa Bay, last week became the fifth African-American woman to be was voted into Class A membership of the Professional Golfers Association of America.

The vote makes Mack the fourth African-American woman to hold Class A PGA and LPGA membership.

While Mack is new to the PGA of America, she is no stranger to the game of golf. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Mack had a decorated junior golf career. She played for: the Tiger Woods Junior Golf Team for three years, represented Southern Nevada on the Girls Jr. America’s Cup Team for four years and also represented the First Tee of Southern Nevada in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach for two years. Mack was also recognized as one of GolfWeek’s top 100 junior golfers in the country in 2004 and 2005.

In 2006 Mack became the first African-American woman to play for the Indiana State University Golf Team. Immediately upon graduating from Indiana State in 2011 with a B.S. in business and Masters in business administration, Mack embarked on a professional golf career. She played three seasons on the Suncoast Tour and held status on the Symetra Tour (the premiere developmental tour for the LPGA). Currently, Mack serves as program director for the First Tee of Tampa Bay and is secretary of the southeast section for the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals. First Tee is an international youth development organization introducing the game of golf  to young people.

“Becoming a member of first the LPGA and now the PGA of America have been my greatest accomplishments to date. Membership with both the LPGA and PGA of America are the highest honors that one can achieve in the golf industry,”Mack said. “I am proud to join such an elite class of golf professionals and hope to use my new status to welcome many more diverse professionals to the game of golf, the LPGA and now the PGA of America.”

The PGA of America has more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals of which 159 are African American, 1,193 are women and only four are African-American women. The other four women who have accomplished this amazing feat are: golf legend Renee Powell, who became the first woman in history to obtain PGA membership in 1996; Maulana Dotch, Sherri Pla and Ashley Nicks.

To be elected to membership of the PGA, aspirant golf professionals go through three levels of education courses, written exams, simulation testing, seminars, and must pass the PGA Playing Ability Test. These men and women have the option to pursue the PGA education through self-study, by the use of accredited PGA Golf Management Universities or through an accelerated PGA Golf Management Program.

For information about Mackenzie Mack, go to mackenziemack.com.

Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Mack.

Mackenzie Mack | PGA | LPGA | First Tee | Golf | Sports | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

#MackenzieMack #PGA #LPGA #FirstTee #Golf #Sports #TampaBayNews #TBReporter