OAKMONT, Pa. — There are some familiar, local faces around Oakmont Country Club, including two young women who are interning with the USGA. They are two of 24 interns learning the ropes as part of the program.
Sissi Hai is a rising senior at Pitt and a graduate of North Allegheny High School. She played golf here at Oakmont Country Club during the 2020 WPIAL championships and said walking the course is emotional.
Kayona Perkins just graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She’s from Verona and went to Riverview High School. While she has never played golf, she has played just about every sport under the sun. She says her background helps her bring something unique to the USGA - helping them reach people who have never played the game. She hopes to get more women involved in golf.
“I really want to work for the DEI program,” Kayona Perkins tells Channel 11. “Helping interns like myself, I think it’s impactful, even the people I’ve met so far have wanted to teach us and get us involved in golf.”
“We’ve been put into rooms with some of the highest leadership of the USGA and some of their partners and I think being here just gives us a new perspective about how many opportunities there are in golf,” Sissi Hai said.
As part of the program, they learn the history of the course and the big players.
A handful of the interns have also gone viral for their TikToks, including “Day in the Life” videos and sporting the U.S. Open merchandise.
To learn more about the intern program, click here.
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