This week, we highlight current full-time staff member Gabby Meyer, who serves as the AJGA’s Manager, Purchasing. Meyer began her career with the AJGA as an Operations Intern in the spring of 2022 and transitioned into her full-time journey within the finance department that following June.
Growing up in Houston, TX, Meyer was involved with sports from a young age. It wasn’t until late in her high school career that she really thought about turning it into a career. Meyer attended Texas A&M University and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Sport Management.
“I was a cheerleader throughout middle school and high school, and being the captain of those teams, I had to learn and understand the game of football, basketball, and volleyball. When it came around to start applying to colleges, I knew I didn’t want to leave the sports aspect of my life, so the perfect way for me to do that was to study sport management at Texas A&M,” Meyer said.
While attending A&M, Meyer had various experiences in the sports industry. From working with the Houston Texans to summer baseball leagues in College Station, Meyer dabbled in many sports, however she never ventured into golf.
“I didn’t know anything about golf, nor did I watch it on TV,” Meyer said. “One day, my professor sent me a career fair opportunity at the Houston Dynamos stadium with Teamwork Online, so I went. I was walking around and saw big AJGA letters. I walked up to see what they were, and when the representative told me it was travel and operations, I said, ‘check and check. ' I asked the person I spoke to if it was okay that I knew nothing about golf, and he told me that it was okay, so I applied.”
While Meyer was on the road as an Operations Intern that following spring, she came to love the AJGA, the game of golf, and all the people she interacted with. She quickly learned her favorite part of the internship was organizing her team’s equipment in their trailer, which lead to her interest in the open Manager, Purchasing role.
“It was great having that time on the road before starting my role as I knew all the language and items people were referring to and how the logistics of it all worked,” Meyer said. “The transition was smooth, and I think being able to relate to how tournaments are run was helpful.”
Meyer assists with many different aspects of the AJGA, including tournament awards, gifts, staff uniforms, and the shipping department for the staff. She also ensures that logos and sponsor requests are accurately represented.
Although the Purchasing Department is based in the AJGA’s National Headquarters in Georgia, Meyer has had a few opportunities to travel to some awesome events on behalf of the AJGA. She values those experiences being able to further her relationships with AJGA sponsors and partners while attending them.
“I had the opportunity to go to Adidas’ golf headquarters and see their line for the upcoming year, which was cool. I also attended the PGA Show in 2023 and met many vendors we worked with and got to understand how the AJGA is so interconnected to everyone in the golf industry.”
Although Meyer is enjoying her opportunities with the AJGA, she often wonders what opportunities will evolve for her in the future. Meyer has found a lot of success and knowledge while in her purchasing role, but also continues to see what other departments may interest her.
“Purchasing was a good foundation and will help me in whatever my next role may be,” Meyer said. “I definitely want to stay in golf, and I think doing something with merchandising and being around the players on-site would be interesting.”
Meyer’s journey from knowing very little about golf to wanting to continue to work in golf even after the AJGA inspires many. While the decision to tackle on an industry unknown to her seemed daunting at first, it has quickly proved to pay off as it has now become one of her biggest life passions. Meyer encourages everyone looking at the AJGA Internship in a similar mindset to go for it.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Have an open mind and be ready to go with the flow but work hard. The internship is constant hard work, so be prepared to have a good work ethic and attitude. I have learned so much in my time here that I can take with me everywhere else.”