From left – P.J. Boatwright interns Annika Patton, Gavin Matthias and Justin Farrell

The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) is excited to announce its three P.J. Boatwright Internships for 2021. Each intern will be primarily focused on the following areas – Championship Administration, Handicapping & Course Rating and Marketing & Communications. Each internship will be for four months. Working under the direction of the IGA Executive Director and senior staff, the interns will learn about all aspects of amateur golf administration in addition to their focus area.

Annika Patton, from Aurelia, will serve at the Championship Administration intern. Patton said that the game of golf has been a passion of hers and has enjoyed playing for as long as she can remember. Patton is a 2019 graduate of Alta-Aurelia High School and currently attends the University of Northern Iowa. Studying Business Management and Sport Administration.

“I look forward to gaining hands-on experience in the golf industry this summer as a 2021 Iowa Golf Association P.J. Boatwright Intern,” Patton said. “Having played in IGA Championships throughout my career as a junior and beyond, I was excited for the opportunity to come aboard the IGA to work with and serve many of those who I have looked up to over the years. Most of all, I look forward to meeting and reconnecting with many of Iowa’s great players.”

Gavin Matthias, of Ankeny, will serve as the Handicapping & Course Rating intern. Matthias, who attended Ankeny Centennial High School, attends the University of Iowa and is studying Sports Management and Recreation.

“I have spent the last four years working at Otter Creek in Ankeny,” Matthias said. “I have enjoyed working with junior golfers, working in the pro shop and being around the golf industry. I applied for the P.J. Boatwright Internship because I want to work in the golf industry after I graduate college, and the internship looked like a great opportunity to learn, gain experience, and meet new people within the golf industry. I am looking forward to the 2021 season.”

Justin Farrell, of Preston, will serve as the Marketing & Communications intern. Farrell attended Easton Valley High School and currently is studying at Iowa State University.

“It was not until my freshman year of high school when I started to play golf and developed a passion for the sport,” Farrell said. “My focus turned to finding a future career within the game of golf, and that brought me to Iowa State. I am currently majoring in public relations and have recently completed my sophomore year. I worked within Iowa State Athletics and my love for golf and other sports started to grow. I saw the opportunity to work with an amazing organization like the Iowa Golf Association and jumped on it immediately. I knew I would enjoy the opportunity and the experiences would be rewarding.”

The program honors the contributions of P.J. Boatwright Jr. (pictured), the USGA’s third executive director, who played a pivotal role in the development of both the USGA and golf in the United States. An accomplished amateur player and one of the game’s foremost Rules experts, he served as executive director of the Carolinas Golf Association for five years before joining the USGA in 1959. He served the association until his death in 1991, leaving a legacy of sportsmanship and service.

In addition to being a recipient of the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor, Boatwright’s legacy is celebrated through his enshrinement in the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Wofford College Hall of Fame and Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame, among others. In 1990, the Golf Writers Association of America presented him with the William D. Richardson Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to golf.

The internship program is part of the USGA’s annual $70 million investment back into the game fueled by revenues generated by the U.S. Open Championship.