Tiger Woods, Willie Mack III, Harold Varner III, Tony Finau*, Cameron James,
Joseph Bramlett, Ryan Alford, Kamaiu Johnson, Mulbe Dillard
2021 was the year that Golfers of Color and Black American professional golfers made tremendous strides. PGA Tour wins by Tony Finau and Cameron James, top ten finishes by Harold Varner III, and the excellent play of Joseph Bramlett and others, are all encouraging signs of an even- greater 2022 year.
We begin this story with the “teasingly hopeful” possibility that Tiger Woods might return to the PGA Tour. Woods has been very cautious and upfront about when and/or if he might rejoin the ranks of professional play.
“This is a long and slow process, and I alone can say for sure when my body will be ready to withstand the rigors of preparing and competing on tour.”
The Masters? Don’t count on him—but don’t count him out, either. As anyone who knows anything about Woods’ tenacity, determination and ability to perform the miraculous on the golf course, it is a losing proposition to ever bet against the strength and resolve of Eldrick “Tiger” Woods.
Fast-forwarding to the recent PNC Championship, Woods showed remarkable recovery and “winability” with his equally amazing son, 12 year-old Charlie. While the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club course is a relatively flat track and Tiger’s movement was of necessity aided by use of a cart, every aspect of his game was no less than tour level. Tiger’s accomplishments, to include his fifteen majors, eighty-two PGA Tour wins and U.S. Amateur titles, are all contained in the annals of golf history and are the basis for his upcoming induction into the PGA Golf Hall of Fame at this year’s Players Championship to be held March 8-13 at TP Sawgrass. Stay tuned.
Willie Mack III continues to earn the respect and awe of his peers on the professional tours. Since 2009 the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Palisades, California has been awarded annually to one outstanding and deserving young Black professional. When Willie Mack III was announced by Tournament Host Tiger Woods as its most recent recipient, the selection sent glee and excitement through the ranks of Black professional golf. Mack’s performance over this past year may have been a surprise to many, but not to keen observers of this young golf professional’s development as a future winner on the PGA Tour. Making the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic as well as his impressive performance in other big-time events has led us to conclude that 2022 may be a breakthrough year for the talented pro to finally add his name to the coveted list of PGA Tour winners.
Harold Varner III is way overdue for his first PGA Tour win—and possibly even two this year. Considering his stellar play in the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, the RBG Heritage and other top-ten finishes, Varner is our pick for top-five finishes in the majors, and possibly two PGA Tour wins in 2022.
It seems like forever since Varner earned his first professional golf victory by winning the Australian PGA Championship—only the second American to do so. In May 2019, Varner was tied for second heading into the final round of the PGA Championship on Bethpage Black outside of New York City where he played in the final group with eventual champion Brooks Koepka. In April 2021, Varner recorded his best finish to date on the PGA Tour: a tied-second place at the RBC Heritage, four shots behind Stewart Cink. The 31 year-old Varner has been just as fortunate in his personal life: he and wife, Amanda (who married in September 2020), recently announced the birth of their son.
Tony Finau is too good a player not to have won more tournaments than his record indicates. The 2021-2022 Tour scoring average is 69.9; Finau’s average is 69.8. By all accounts Finau should have won multiple times; however, given the depth of talent on the PGA Tour, winning is a lot easier said than done.
The common measure of success on the PGA Tour is FedX Cup rankings and wins. While those are a given, Finau’s success can be measured by having earned almost $6 million in tour earnings, his selection to the U.S. record-setting Ryder Cup Team; his winning the Northern Trust Tournament Championship; and his having made the cut in three of the four majors. Finau’s top ten finish at the Masters assures his return. Perhaps a Green Jacket is in the offing. We look with great anticipation to Tony Finau having an even greater year.
Tony Finau’s ethnic background is of mixed origin. He is of Tongan and Samoan descent. The golfer’s parents name is Kelepi Finau and Ravena Finau. His late mother Ravena was always supportive of his choice to choose a career in Golf. His father coached Tony in his early years as a Golfer. Not being African American, Tony is a person of color which embraces the mission of Minority Golf Magazine; “For People of Color Everywhere.”
This past year Cameron James, “Mister Amazing”, won on the PGA TOUR for the third consecutive season and qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the third time in as many seasons, advancing to the BMW Championship and finishing No. 57 in the FedEx Cup standings. Victory at the 3M Open marked James’ third career PGA TOUR title. James made 14 cuts in 26 starts and recorded five top-25 finishes.
James won the 3M Open by two strokes, earning his third PGA TOUR victory in his 76th start at 26 years, one month, ten days. The win came in his second start at the event and first since missing the cut in 2019. Entered the tournament outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings with only three weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and moved to No. 49, clinching a spot in the top 125.
James’ incredible distance off the tee and his above-average short game will again carry him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour this year. We think so, anyway.
Joseph Bramlett, one of only two professional golfers of African American descent on the 2011 PGA Tour (the other is Tiger Woods), is currently making the most of his experience on the smaller tours. Bramlett was the first two-time recipient of the Sifford Memorial exemption, and his determination shows the perseverance Charlie would have admired. Bramlett broke onto the PGA Tour in 2011 after a collegiate career at Stanford. After two years on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2012 and 2013, an annular tear to his L4 and L5 discs in his back kept him sidelined for multiple years. Now Bramlett is back with a vengeance, and we look for to him being a regular at the winner’s pay window.
Ryan Alford, Kamaiu Johnson, and Mulbe Dillard, IV, are also individuals we will be watching this year— not only because they are talented future stars on the PGA Tour but because they have amassed impressive professional records in their own right. Alford and Johnson have received exemptions to play in the upcoming 2022 Farmers Insurance Open, January 26-29, 2022. This tournament represents a PGA debut for Alford, who looks to demonstrate his worthiness to play on the big stage.
Johnson received an exemption to play in this tournament last year but had to withdraw unexpectedly. A top contender and multiple winner on the APGA Tour, Johnson has proven his ability to compete at the highest levels of professional golf.
We are confident that these young professionals will continue to develop into impactful players on the PGA Tour. We predict that In the not-distant future you will see these names Ryan Alfred, Kamaiu Johnson, Mulbe Dillard, IV on the invite list to the Masters. In fact, we believe it. photo lr- Ryan Alford, Kamaiu Johnson, Mulbe Dillard III
