Historic initiative
Interns at Oakmont get unique shot to compete at course
Stephen Galanis wakes up every morning on the third floor of the clubhouse at Oakmont Country Club, wondering how he got there.
Since early May, this Sandwich, Mass., native has walked the grounds, fulfilling a dream to reach such a historic course. Just interning at Oakmont is surreal enough, he said. Competing wasn’t even a thought. Monday, though, it happened.
At the WPGA West Penn Open, two Oakmont interns doubled as competitors. For Galanis — the tournament’s only non-Pennsylvania native — and Gunnar Riley, the experience is a dream come true.
“When you think of Oakmont, all you can think of is the history here,” Galanis said. “I didn’t picture myself being here at all.”
Galanis and Riley are students at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. The school has a business program with a concentration in golf management, which has helped create a pipeline between Oakmont and the university, Riley said. Oakmont head professional Devin Gee, also competing in the tournament, went to Methodist and graduated from the same program, as did two of his assistants, Riley said.
“Everyone I tell where I went to school is like, ‘Oh, you’re another one of those guys,’” Riley laughed.
That connection always had them dreaming of a job at the course. Riley said it was the culmination of a four-year plan after spending the previous three years in the Pittsburgh area. Galanis’ opportunity was more sudden. At a PGA merchandise event that he attended with Methodist’s program, he got a chance to talk to Brendan King, Oakmont’s director of tournament relations. Galanis didn’t get his offer immediately, but when it came two weeks later, he knew it was too good an opportunity — complete with room and board in the clubhouse — to pass up.
After starting their positions, the two got the opportunity to compete in the West Penn qualifier in late May. Practicing at the course the past few months, Riley said the tournament’s location provided extra incentive.
Galanis qualified at even par; Riley finished 2 under. The stage was set for them to compete at a course that can be “mentally draining” at times, Galanis said.
“The greens are fast, the fairways are tight, the rough is thick,” Galanis said. “When you’re heading out to a golf course thinking of those things, it’s a little hard to get past.”
Still, Galanis said he wasn’t nervous. Maybe just on the first hole, he said. Once he got past that, it would just be another round. He has seen the course before; the first time is the intimidating one.
Before he teed off, Riley took a step back, inhaled and gazed at the course. The first tee is set up perfectly to see it all — the greens, trees and hills. A tower blew smoke from its peak. Sparse cloud cover brought little shade. If the first hole was hard to see, the last wasn’t even in Riley’s mind. “It’s a lot easier to get a 6 than a 3,” he said beforehand.
Riley exhaled, set back up at his ball, swung at it and drove it out of play. He grimaced and popped his tee in his mouth. Riley golfs twice a week at the course and has more run on the course than many of the other competitors, but some things you can’t prepare for.
“Still doesn’t make it any easier,” he said with a laugh.