During the Spring of 2017, I had the privilege of completing my Senior Capstone with the Tiger Woods Foundation as a special event and volunteer intern. I worked mostly on the foundation’s PGA tournament, the Genesis Open, in Los Angeles, Calif. I was the main contact for more than 900 volunteers and helped coordinate special events we hosted during the tournament, including a collegiate tournament, a professional-amateur tournament, and an event for underserved youth within the Los Angeles area called Tee Off for Youth.
My favorite event was the professional-amateur tournament. Many of the amateurs were celebrities, including Johnny Manziel, Don Cheadle, and Niall Horan. I also met Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, and Bubba Watson. I acted as the liaison between golfers and scorekeepers, and was in constant communication with the celebrities and professionals throughout the events.
I also enjoyed coordinating the Tee Off for Youth initiative. We worked with youth groups within the Los Angeles area to bring more than 1,000 kids to the Genesis Open, where they were each given a private golf lesson, a private viewing area, as well as souvenirs from the foundation.
My experience with the Tiger Woods Foundation has taught me how intricate and complex the world of events can be. There are many moving parts and nothing truly goes as planned, so you have to adjust and work under pressure to succeed. The internship has prepared me for a career in the sport industry and I am grateful to the Tiger Woods Foundation for the experience.