Intern Spotlight Series: Brendan Farley

For an aspiring sports professional from Allen, Texas, the P.J. Boatwright Internship has been more than just a summer role — it’s a step toward a lifelong goal of working in the golf industry.

A student finishing a degree in sport entertainment management at the University of North Texas, the intern credits his hometown for shaping his early interest in the game. “With family and friends nearby, plenty of golf courses to choose from and some great instructors, it made golf a lot more enticing to get into,” he said.

Introduced to the sport by his uncle and cousins through an after-school golf program in elementary school, his passion for the game quickly grew. He competed for the Allen High School varsity team while also playing on the NTPGA All-American junior tour and the Texas Junior Golf Tour. Although he didn’t play at the collegiate level, he continues to play recreationally to stay sharp.

His development in the game was heavily influenced by three instructors — Tony LaBella, Chad Moscovic and Brad Ott. “Without Tony, Chad and Brad, I wouldn’t have made it to the level I got to,” he said.

Prior to joining the Texas Golf Association as a Boatwright Intern, he gained experience in golf club operations, working in both the golf shop and outside operations. He also interned with the Frisco RoughRiders, assisting with ballpark operations. Those experiences, combined with his involvement in the professional co-ed business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, taught him valuable skills in communication, leadership and problem-solving.

The internship has given him a behind-the-scenes look at tournament operations — a perspective he’s been curious about since his days competing as a junior golfer. “Whenever I played tournaments in my junior career I would always wonder about the operations and how things were run,” he said.

He also came in eager to learn about the bigger picture of golf administration. “Things like selecting host clubs for future events, how the financials work for these tournaments, what goes into setting them up — those are the things I was most excited about,” he said.

While he admitted to some initial nerves about whether the experience would meet his expectations, those fears quickly subsided. “I knew as soon as I read through [the internship description] that it was exactly what I wanted to do, and so far I have loved every second of it,” he said.