Editor’s Note: Nick Sage from Bloomington, MN, graduated from the UNL PGA Golf Management Program in December 2013. He is now an Assistant Golf Professional at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, MN, site of the 2016 Ryder Cup matches. We thought it would be fun to follow Nick through the year as Hazeltine prepared and then hosted this prestigious international event. Below is his third and final installment submitted shortly after the conclusion of the Ryder Cup.
I remember vividly when I interviewed with Chandler Withington, PGA Head Professional at Hazeltine, about a job at Hazeltine National Golf Club. When he offered me the job in the fall of 2013, he asked me if I was ready to be a part of something special. All of my expectations were exceeded, and the week of the 2016 Ryder Cup was one of the most incredible of my life. I was indeed a part of something special, and it is a memory I will have for the rest of my life.
There was so much buildup to the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. The PGA of America started the buildout of the chalets and grandstands on June 1st. It was truly amazing to see how much would be built every day – and all for 6 days of actual activity! Overall, there was 1.5 million square feet of infrastructure built on the property. Starting on August 1st, all shots from the par-three tee boxes, fairways, and closely mown areas around the greens were played from a small turf mat. This would ensure that the golf course was absolutely pristine come late September when Team USA and Team Europe showed up. The golf course was completely shut down on September 5th as the PGA of America finished all of the work to get the golf course and clubhouse ready.
I had a unique job during the Ryder Cup. I became close friends with the Executive Producer of European Tour Productions during the Year-Out celebration, and he called me in the middle of the summer asking if I would like to be a part of their team during the week. My duties would be to follow a camera crew that filmed live golf and then interviewed the European players immediately after their matches were completed. It was an incredible experience to see the Live TV side of a major event. I was lucky enough to have an “All-Access” pass that allowed me to go anywhere I wanted inside the ropes of the golf course. From Monday-Thursday, I was able to show the European crew I worked with around the golf course so they were familiar with the property. We spent a lot of time on the range, the media center, and walking the golf course. It was a truly remarkable experience being able to walk inside the ropes of the biggest golf tournament in the world!
The week of the Ryder Cup started with the news of the passing of Arnold Palmer. The King loved the Ryder Cup, and to honor him all week was a class act by the PGA of America and Hazeltine National. What was special about that was when Team USA swept the morning session; ironically, the last time that happened was in 1975 – the last time Arnold Palmer was Captain.
When Friday started, we were either on the range filming the players or on the first tee. The first tee at the Ryder Cup is one of the most thrilling places in sports. From the first tee we would go over to certain spots on the course and film, and toward the end of the matches, we would walk with groups and try to plot where they would finish so we could be there to conduct the interviews.
Team USA played incredible golf all week. Every player contributed a point to the team as they won the Ryder Cup with a score of 17-11, the first time Team USA has won since 2008.
I often think about when Chandler asked me if I wanted to be a part of something special. Not only was it special, but it will go down as one of the greatest Ryder Cup matches in history. Everything was first class at Hazeltine. I am honored to have been a part of golf’s biggest event at a place I love so much.
I know I would have never been a part of something so great if it wasn’t for the PGA Golf Management Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The tools they gave me to succeed are why I am where I am today.
I hope you have enjoyed the three-part installment of my life during the Ryder Cup. I hope you learned a little about the event, golf, and why the PGA Golf Management Program at Nebraska not only helps shape careers, but allows people like me to live out their dreams.
More details at: http://pgm.unl.edu