FAIRBORN, OH – The Southern Ohio PGA Section is thrilled to welcome its latest group of Tournament Operations Interns for the Summer 2023 season – Jonathon Dill, Alex Gomia, Max Lipari, and Ben Satterthwaite.
“The Southern Ohio PGA is committed to creating an environment for our PGA Members and the game of golf to thrive. Adding these four Operations Interns to our team is a great step to helping us maintain the premiere event atmosphere we strive to provide each week,” noted Patrick Salva, Executive Director of the Southern Ohio PGA.
Jonathon Dill, from Sedalia, OH, recently earned a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Sport Management from Ohio Dominican University while contributing as a student-athlete to the Men’s Golf Team. Dill also studied Marketing and Graphic Design during his time in school and looks forward to assisting with SOPGA Junior Golf social media platforms. He hopes to continue his career in the Design or Marketing department for a professional or college sports team.
Alex Gomia, of Monroe, OH, is on track to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Leadership & Management from Miami University in 2024. He joins the SOPGA Internship team with the unique experience of participating on the SOPGA Junior Tour as a junior golfer himself. Gomia is most looking forward to expanding his network and skill set during the internship while gaining experience in operating the tour he grew up playing on. He hopes to continue his career in the sports industry, working in the marketing department for a professional team in the Midwest.
Max Lipari, of Columbus, OH, expects to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management from University of Dayton in 2024. He has previously worked in outside operations under PGA Professionals at NorthStar Golf Club and Inverness Country Club while also gaining leadership experience as President of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at University of Dayton. Lipari hopes to gain experience in tournament and event operations to assist in continuing his career in the sports industry, specifically working in the marketing or event management departments for the PGA of America.
Ben Satterthwaite, of Mason, OH, plans to graduate in 2024 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Capital University. Currently a student-athlete contributing to the Capital University Men’s Golf Team, Satterthwaite joins the team with experience playing on the SOPGA Junior Tour as a young golfer and working in the industry as a Marketing Intern at Swing Fit Golf Club in Blue Ash, OH. He is looking forward to interacting with the junior golfers while also working as part of the team operating the Tour events. Satterthwaite hopes to become a PGA Professional continuing to foster the game of golf, preferably somewhere in Florida.
The Southern Ohio PGA Section Tournament Operations Internship began in 2013 with the goal of providing work experience in the golf industry to college-aged students. The primary responsibility of the Tournament Operations Interns is to assist with all aspects of the SOPGA Junior Tour and Section Tournament schedules. The seasonal team operates each event from pre-event set-up, on-course pace of play monitoring and Rules of Golf assistance, player scoring, communications, and post-event clean-up. SOPGA Tournament Operations Intern alumni have pursued careers in the golf industry as Field Representatives for brands like Titleist and Cleveland / Srixion as well as begun the PGA Associate Program; while others have continued in the sports industry or continued to pursue higher education.
The Summer 2024 Tournament Operations Internship Application period will open in October 2023. This is a full-time, three-month, hourly paid position. Please email sopgajrtour@pgahq.com with any questions about the internship program in the meantime.