When Willie Mack III started life in professional golf, the American was struggling to make ends meet and sleeping in his car to save money. Now, he has been given the opportunity to fulfil every golfer's dream and tee it up on the PGA Tour.
After years of playing mini-tour golf across the United States and being limited to only a handful of starts on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and Korn Ferry Tour, the 32-year-old will get the chance to make his PGA Tour debut at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The African American was already scheduled to appear next month at the Genesis Invitational - hosted by Tiger Woods - after receiving the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption, an accolade aiming to increase diversity in golf, but has now seen his PGA Tour breakthrough brought forward.
Mack was only given a last-minute sponsor's invite for Torrey Pines on Tuesday after the original recipient, fellow Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour (APGA) golfer Kamaiu Johnson, was forced to withdraw after testing positive for coronavirus.
"I know it's a dream come true for both of us to get our first two starts the next four weeks and it's just an unfortunate situation," Mack said. "I'm friends with Kamaiu [Johnson], so I talk to him all the time.
"I know he was so excited to play this week and I was cheering him on. I'm just going to go out there this week and not only play for me, but also play for him."
Mack, an ambassador of tournament sponsors Farmer Insurance, was the 2019 Player of the Year on the APGA Tour - a non-profit organisation with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf - and currently leads the Florida Professional Golf Tour.
Speaking about his journey to the PGA Tour, Mack added: "I started playing golf around six and just started playing with my dad because of Tiger Woods. Went to college, played at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach and transferred over to my professional career.
"It kind of started out a little shaky for the first couple years, living in my car for about a year and a half, just struggling, traveling around, trying to make ends meet, and now we're here today.
"It's always a struggle kind of starting out, having no sponsors. I think it was 2011 was the last year you could go right to the PGA Tour. It started out pretty good that first year, I won the Money List on the Florida Pro Tour, I made the second stage and I think I missed Finals by two strokes.
"I kind of got into a little groove of maybe this is easy. Then the next two or three years after that, it was a struggle. I left home that summer and I told my dad I was going to go to Florida. I had no money it just turned into a hassle and a struggle, but I just kept fighting and I'm here today.
"My parents always taught me, if you start something, you finish it. I just always had that mindset and that mindset will always stick with me."
Watch the Farmers Insurance Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins with Featured Groups on Thursday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 8pm.