Western Pennsylvania well represented in ‘impactful' USGA Pathways Program
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 11, 2025
Kayona McIntosh-Perkins grew up just footsteps away from historic Oakmont Country Club.
However, despite her geographical proximity to the home of this week’s 125th U.S. Open, she had never walked through the front gates. She had never traversed the perfectly manicured grounds, observed the historic clubhouse or viewed the iconic ‘church pew’ bunkers in person. Golf itself was a relatively foreign matter to McIntosh-Perkins for much of her life.
But that has all changed this week.
A Verona, Pa. native, McIntosh-Perkins is one of 24 current or recent college students to participate in the USGA’s Pathways Internship Program during this week’s U.S. Open.
“I was unfamiliar with golf,” said McIntosh-Perkins, a 2025 Business Administration and General Management graduate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “Even being local to Oakmont, I had never been to Oakmont Country Club before.
“Having the experience of being able to go there, go in the clubhouse and learn the history of the club, it’s been extremely impactful from day one. It’s been a great experience.”
The Pathways Internship Program is in its fourth year of existence. A 10-day, immersive internship experience, the program allows young people the chance to dive into the golf and sports management industry by networking with industry leaders, job shadowing and working through professional development sessions.
The Western Pennsylvania Golf Association’s staff met with the 24 Pathways interns over the weekend, discussing all facets of Allied Golf Association operations.
“It’s been extremely beneficial for us,” said McIntosh-Perkins, who is pursuing a career in sports venue operations and has already worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ operations team at Acrisure Stadium.
“A lot of us don’t have that experience in golf or have even been exposed to golf in general. Seeing the background of it, the golf and business administration end of it, it’s been insightful. You don’t know how many opportunities there are within a sport that you’ve never been exposed to.”
Other Pathways interns have had plenty of experience in the game but still need an outlet to connect with industry leaders as they work towards a career in sports.
“My family introduced me to the game from the beginning,” said Sissi Hai, a North Allegheny graduate and former high school golfer. “I grew to love the sport, connect with the sport. It’s taught me a lot growing up. It’s taught me a lot of interpersonal skills, resiliency and it’s built me into who I am today.”
Before this week, Hai had been to Oakmont Country Club once before, playing in the 2020 WPIAL Championships while at North Allegheny. That day, however, ended in tears over baked goods at Oakmont Bakery for her after she fell short of winning one of the many championships earned at Oakmont throughout the fabled club’s history.
“This time will be different and is going to be the best ten days of my life,” added Hai, now a Marketing and Supply Chain major and rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh. “The part that excites me the most is the group of people I’m surrounded by. There’s 24 of us and we’re from all different backgrounds, all different states, all over the world, all different ethnicities. But there’s something that connects us all and we instantly bonded.
“Half of us don’t play golf and half of us do. The way that we all share a similar passion for the sports industry, but also how we learn from each other, has been really exciting — as has learning from the USGA.”
The Pathways program was designed to address an issue in the world of golf and in particular the hiring demographics and practices throughout the game’s history and present within its $84 billion industry.
As part of the USGA’s mission to grow the game for all, the Pathways initiative highlights young people from underrepresented communities.
That includes the growing world of adaptive golf – designed for players with a variety of disabilities and impairments – like Tyler Cashman, who was born in Pittsburgh and now lives in New Jersey.
“I bleed black and gold,” said Cashman, who recently graduated from the University of Richmond with a degree in marketing and will attend graduate school at the University of Arizona, pursuing a degree in sports leadership and recreation. “My aunt still lives here, and my eye doctor is here, as well. So, I get back to Pittsburgh about three times per year.”
Cashman has a visual impairment. This fall, he will join Arizona’s adaptive golf team — the first of its kind at the collegiate ranks in the country.
“Being one of the younger guys in adaptive golf, I’ve gotten to meet a bunch of older guys who either have a visual impairment or other impairments, and gotten to talk to them about what I’ve gone through and they’ve gone through,” said Cashman, who worked as an adaptive golf intern with the Golf Association of Philadelphia last year.
“Having mentors like that has been really great for me. Without adaptive golf, I don’t know if I’d be able to have those same connections. I really want to give back to golf and adaptive golf, to get more people involved, younger people involved, and to grow the sport.”
And that’s what is at the heart of the USGA’s Pathways Internship Program, which receives primary sponsorship funding from Deloitte. The goal is to recognize and improve on the growth challenges facing the game, even as the sport gains popularity at a rapid rate.
The experiences, skills and connections made by the Pathways interns can be lifechanging for them, and game-changing for the golf industry – all by using a sport that has been built on connecting people to once again do just that.
“Being a part of a group that’s so diverse, not just in sports, but where they came from, their history and professional backgrounds, has been amazing,” said McIntosh-Perkins. “It’s given me a different insight on what golf is all about. It’s about bringing people together.”
For any media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.