LOS ANGELES --- After just one year at Biola, Abigale Morris has already made an impact beyond La Mirada. Morris kicked off her summer with a USGA Pathway Internship at the US Open, right here in Los Angeles. She was one of 20 interns furthering their network in the golf industry at one of the biggest golfing events in the country.

The internship was a 10-day experience for 20 diverse college and graduate students to different careers in golf by providing training, education and networking opportunities. To help address the imbalance of underrepresented communities, the USGA launched this internship in 2022. Interns gained the opportunity to connect with key golf industry leadership as well as local business executives from outside the industry through professional development panels.

Morris entered the internship excited at the prospect of delving deeper into the golf industry. The freshman wrapped up her first year at Biola in May and is majoring in cinema and media arts. Talking with industry experts and executives allowed Morris to see behind the scenes into golf media at the US Open. 

"It was a really good experience that helped expose more people to golf!" said Morris

The Phoenix, Arizona native found the great opportunity with the help of her local club membership. Morris is a part of the Desert Mashie, a prestigious organization founded back in 1946 and joined the USGA in 1950.

 As a part of the internship, Morris was grouped with other peers to perform a case study competition. The team goal was to develop an idea that could make a lasting impact on the community where the US Open occurs. 

Morris' group wanted to cater to the youth's interest in golf, so their idea was to build a golf facility specifically for foster kids. A space that would allow them to grow in all aspects of the game, while having room dedicated to school work and studying. 

The team scored second place with all four people helping present their idea in front of their peers and judges. The presentation helped the group develop their public speaking skills in a competitive environment.

During the actual US Open event, Morris and the group had all-access passes. Morris was able to benefit from talking to industry leaders like the golf channel and seeing the inner workings of gameday administration.

An exciting part of the experience was the ability to see the professional golfers up close on the course and in the clubhouse. Morris was able to see some of her favorite golfers hit the course like Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa. During a practice round, Abigale and her two friends were nearly hit by a shot from Rory McIlroy and could see themselves on the live feed on the Golf Channel App!

Overall, Morris loved the opportunity and felt more solidified in her career desires. The young talent joined the Eagles in 2022 as a true freshman on the Biola women's golf team. The freshman saw action in eight competitions with three rounds under 80 strokes in the 2022-23 campaign.