Three Michigan Golfers Qualify for the US Open
By Tom Lang
Michigan will be well represented during the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 – by Flint native and touring pro Willie Mack III, mini tour pro Otto Black of Brighton, and MSU senior Ashton McCulloch – a student-athlete from Kingston, Ontario and winner of the 2023 Canadian Amateur.
Mack and McCulloch made it through finishing near the top of their qualifying sites. Black earned an Alternate position before getting the nod to get in at Pinehurst on Monday morning of tournament week. He promptly pulled out of the Michigan Open when hearing he was the last of six alternates to get in the field.
McCulloch has played Pinehurst No. 2 – about two years ago in the North-South Amateur.
Mack has not.
“It gives me some comfort, even though I haven’t seen it in U.S. Open conditions,” McCulloch said. “Knowing the layout and understanding how the golf course plays, and what it’s receptive to, that definitely helps.” He added that Pinehurst doesn’t have much rough in the first place for the USGA to grow up, but that he assumes the fairways will be firm and that will tighten up the landing areas.
Mack has only heard comments about Pinehurst No. 2 from others.
“Yeah, they say it fit's my game well for sure,” Mack said in a media teleconference. “I’ve gotta hit in the fairway. I kind of like Donald Ross courses. Just kind of like a bowl, everything running off so you have to be precise with your irons and your wedges. And short game has to be on point, so hopefully everything can come together all at one time and I can have a special weekend and go from there.”
McCulloch led the Spartans this past school year, recording a program single-season record 70.89 average score. He beat the previous record of 71.33 of James Piot – the Spartan who went on to win the 2021 U.S. Amateur the summer after he graduated. As a freshman McCulloch was purposefully paired with Piot by coach Casey Lubahn as a roommate on team road trips.
“I was able to learn from him, and get confidence from him and seeing him do it and all the amazing things he did and is back doing, it motivates me, but also a lot of the guys on the team,” McCulloch said. “I know he wants to see me succeed. He texts me a lot after some events. We stay in touch and it’s really cool to have the relationship that we’ve had; a mentor at school and after he’s moved on and done some pretty cool things in golf.”
Mack could be best known in Michigan for winning the 2011 Michigan Amateur and becoming the first African-American to accomplish that feat. He turned pro that year and has mostly played mini tours across the country, exemplifying the term ‘grinding.’
But he has played in seven PGA Tour events, was exempt all last season on the Korn Ferry Tour and called making the cut two years ago at the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic his biggest accomplishment.
“I think having Korn Ferry status last year was probably the biggest moment other than making my first PGA TOUR cut in Detroit,” Mack said. “But this definitely takes the cake for sure being my first major, being at Pinehurst and being at a place where I've had success in, in North Carolina. Hopefully, I can go out there and show everybody that I belong and hopefully can turn it into something great.
“I think losing my card out there on the Korn Ferry Tour, I think it's still taught me a lot of things,” Mack added. “My game has definitely gotten better. It might not have shown last year, but I feel like I got more confidence in my game and I've been playing well ever since I lost my card, so hopefully I can keep going down that road and do something special in the U.S. Open.”
McCulloch is taking this experience as another building block in his golf career, and would be happy to be the low amateur at Pinehurst.
Mack is no different than other golfers who want to win it all, but admitted he didn’t really dream much as a kid from Michigan going to play in the future in a Major.
“I know just for me it was more like the Buick Open. I just always wanted to play the Buick Open. I feel like that was a major for me at that time and be able to come home to Michigan playing the Rocket Mortgage a couple years ago, having that be my first cut made on the PGA TOUR in my hometown. It will always hold a special place in my heart. Hopefully I can go out there next week and do the same.”
Black played for Pinckney High school, before going on to star at the University of Toledo. He now lives in Brighton. His resume is dotted with various pro tournaments around the Midwest.
“Being my first major is exciting and I’m happy it’s at Pinehurst, such a historic place,” Black texted me. “Approach shots into the green require good ball striking and shot shaping,” he said about Donald Ross designed courses. “I’ve been here since Monday practicing and playing. Been driving the ball great and putting has been good also.”
