When Rory McIlroy defeated Justin Rose in a thrilling playoff to win The Masters this April, completing the historic Grand Slam, 40,000 fans were in attendance with millions more watching around the globe, wishing they were there.
Will Fosbenner, a senior sport management major in the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, was at Augusta National Golf Club, with a perfect vantage point for one of golf’s most historical moments.
In September, Fosbenner was on LinkedIn when he saw the golf tournament had posted numerous volunteer job openings. After applying, he went on The Masters website where he found Allie Waldman, Director of Club Operations at Augusta National and a 2014 UD grad as a hotel, restaurant, and institutional management major.
Fosbenner kept in contact with Waldman throughout the rest of the fall semester, had one virtual interview, and was offered a position in merchandise operations.
Fosbenner flew down the Saturday before the tournament started and went through training the following day for his role at South Village Golf Shop, located near the course’s famous Amen Corner.
Fosbenner worked close to 100 hours over the next seven days. He would wake up at 4:45 a.m., leave his hotel by 5:15, and be clocked in by 6 a.m. The shop was open from 8 a.m. until 30 minutes after the last action on the course, usually between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
Fosbenner would get back to the hotel around 9:30 or 10 p.m., then set his alarm to do it all again the next day.
“It was a lot of work, but worth it in the end,” he said. “Feeling like you contributed, and then watching the end of the tournament, was pretty neat.”
Fosbenner’s job focused on the rounders in the shop, making sure items like t-shirts, polos and hats were constantly stocked.
“A lot of the merchandise was backstock they wanted to sell, and it was going quickly, so we were always making sure it was restocked,” he said. “There’s a lot of detail that goes into it; you have to make sure it looks perfect.”
Fosbenner spent plenty of time running the stairs between the warehouse on the bottom floor and the sales floor.
“It was a lot of running up and down, making sure everything was stocked appropriately and sorted nicely,” he said.
The shop was near the 14th tee and a manually-updated scoreboard, which allowed Fosbenner to follow the results, as cell phones are not permitted on the premises.
“On my breaks I could discover the course,” he said. “I was able to see Amen Corner, which is the coolest part of the course. I would try to time my breaks when I could go out there and watch the bigger name groups. I got to see those guys up close, which was pretty neat.”
On Sunday afternoon, with the crowd completely on the course as the tournament wound down, Fosbenner was able to finish his shift early and watch the dramatic finish.
“I followed Rory and Bryson (DeChambeau) through basically the back nine, so I was with them through Amen Corner and on 15 and 16,” he said. “Then I sprinted over to the fairway on 18. I saw their drives come in, and then I had a really good view of the green, so I could see their putts and also the crowd behind them.”
Fosbenner stayed put once McIlroy and Rose ended up tied, as 18 would serve as the first playoff hole. It was then that he took a moment to reflect on how he’d gotten to that point, watching one of his favorite sports and what would become one of the most famous moments in recent golf history.
“It really set in on Sunday, just how big the crowds were,” he said. “It was so neat to see how many people were around me watching. I had my Apple Watch on, and noticed my heartbeat increasing, just seeing how big the moment got.
“I remember thinking this is super cool, and something I might never experience again. The fact that I’m watching Rory complete the Grand Slam made it even cooler.”
Fosbenner has worked with the Flyers premium sales department for the last nine months and also worked with Sportfive, a sports marketing agency in New York City, on its brand strategy team in January, so he has gotten plenty of valuable experience during his senior year at UD.
He hopes to go into corporate partnerships, but is keeping his options open, including the golf route.
“This experience has motivated me to keep volunteering at golf tournaments moving forward,” he said. “I don’t know where I’m going to end up in the sports industry, but working in golf could be an avenue I could see myself working in. It’s such a unique sport, and the aspect of traveling around the country and seeing a lot of courses with their distinctive features would be really cool.”