For many college students, summer is a time to rest, travel, or pick up an internship. Sean Bledsoe ’26 hit two of three in landing an internship that took him to the 2025 U.S. Open, held at the historic Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh in mid-June.
“It’s a great problem to have,” Bledsoe said with a laugh, balancing early mornings at his home course in Kendallville, Indiana, with intense preparation for the Indiana Golf Association’s Match Play Championships and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity through the United States Golf Association (USGA) Pathways Internship. “It’s been a grind, preparing for this internship as well as trying to make sure my golf game is in good enough shape to compete at the level that I like to.”
Bledsoe, a member of the Wabash College golf team, discovered the USGA’s highly selective Pathways program through diligent research. “I wanted to be somewhere in the golf industry,” said the theater major and film and digital media minor. “When I found the Pathways internship on LinkedIn and saw it was 10 days surrounding the U.S. Open, I thought, ‘That’s perfect.’”
After a competitive selection process that narrowed the pool from 150 to just 24 interns, Bledsoe earned his spot.
The internship focused on professional networking, industry exposure, and a project aimed at growing the game of golf—particularly among younger and more diverse audiences. Bledsoe and his peers collaborated with professionals from the USGA, Deloitte, and NBC Sports, and had discussions with USGA President Fred Perpall and the organization’s executive team.
“We got experience in a lot of areas—ticketing, merchandise, broadcast media, social media, and course set up,” he said. “In the best way possible, the days were busy and long. It was jam packed.”
The location only added to the significance for the all-conference golfer, who finished as the runner-up at the 2025 North Coast Conference Championships. “I’ve been such a fan of Oakmont for so long,” Bledsoe reflected. “It’s one of the most challenging and historic courses in America. It showed its teeth this year.”
Perhaps the most meaningful aspect for Bledsoe is the timing. The final round of the U.S. Open always lands on Father’s Day—a tradition close to his heart. “My dad introduced me to the game when I was three,” he said. “Every year, we sit down on Father’s Day, make lunch, and watch the final round of the U.S. Open together. It’s our thing.”
This year, Bledsoe was able to bring his father to Oakmont for the final round.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “The USGA does a great job with the internship and following our duties Sunday morning, allows the interns to experience much of the final round on the course. Having my dad there to share it with was amazing. We were just off the 18th green when J.J. Spaun hit the winning putt, and that was incredible.”
Bledsoe’s story is a reminder that passion, persistence, and creativity can lead to incredible opportunities. “This internship may have been short, but it aligned perfectly with my goals,” he said. “I’m a competitor, I love the game, and to be involved at this level—it’s just special.
“This internship really put things into perspective for me,” Bledsoe continued. “Being able to walk the golf course and see what they do to set it up, tells me that I want to set up a U.S. Open. I want to be a part of the championships team at the USGA and run some of the best tournaments in the world. That’s now my goal.”