Equestrian Mahaley Gann Makes a Jump to the PGA

Mahaley Gann has gone from the flats and fences to the links and greens. The former South Carolina equestrian has had quite a ride. After being a part of this year’s national championship team, she graduated earlier this month, and a day later she started working for the Professional Golfers Association of America as a special events coordinator, which included being boots on the ground at the PGA Championship in Pennsylvania.

“I’m helping with spectator championships for the PGA of America,” said Gann, who recently earned her degree in sport and entertainment management. “There’s the PGA Championship, the Women’s PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship, and then the Ryder Cup. I’ll work on all the parties leading up to the tournaments. At the PGA Championship last week, we helped with the Champions Dinner. Scottie Scheffler won the PGA Championship in 2025, so there was a dinner at this year’s championship honoring his win from the previous year.

“It’s a lot of food and beverage and events planning.”

That brief description understates much of what she is doing, but she’s accustomed to achieving at a high level, and not just as a student-athlete. She received the Academic Excellence Award for 2026 in The David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment, which is highest award given to one graduate from that school. She also received the 2026 Leadership Award awarded by Gamecock Athletics at the annual student-athlete gala.

Some college graduates are happy to take some time off after earning their degree, but for Gann, she barely had time to change out of cap and gown before going on the job for her new career.

“I graduated on Saturday (May 9), and then I flew out to the PGA Championship on Sunday to start working for them full time,” Gann said. “I was ready to go! One of the great things about the University of South Carolina is that as much as I loved the four years I spent there, I feel like the program prepared me to be ready to leave. Sports management is a very competitive field, and it can be hard to have the timing and opportunity line up sometimes. I was very fortunate that when I was graduating, they happened to have the exact job I was hoping to have!”

The job didn’t just fall in her lap. It came about after she worked hard as a student to earn several internships with the PGA through the sport and entertainment management program.

“I’m so grateful to the University of South Carolina and the sport management program for getting me connected so I could get this opportunity,” Gann said. “Coach (Carol) Gwin has been amazing in the two years that she has been on staff, and Coach (Boo) Major before her. I’m grateful for them letting me be on the team but then also pursue these work-related opportunities so that I could get this job straight out of school with all this sports management experience. It was such a blessing to work the Master’s. This was actually my fourth PGA Championship that I had been to.”

Gann noted that Professor Steve Taylor from the sport management department helped facilitate the internships throughout her time at South Carolina, which had her start out working security for events after her first year in school. Networking during those opportunities helped open other doors for other internships at more events.

“I had the chance to go to The (British) Open last summer,” Gann said. “I had the chance to take advantage of so many cool opportunities. I worked the Master’s twice!”

Growing up in the small town of Krum, Texas, Gann was always a competitor. A pony ride when she was five years old got her hooked on horses, and that led to lessons, competitions, and lot of travel during her teenage years. Despite five previous generations of her family going to Baylor University in Texas, Gann chose South Carolina, not only because of its equestrian program, but also its renowned sport and entertainment management program. While she didn’t play golf, her field of study opened her eyes to a great opportunity.

“I didn’t know much about golf before coming to college, but I had always been drawn to the sport,” Gann said. “It’s a little bit similar to riding in that you spend a lot of time outside, and you’re at the tournament for a week, just like you can be at a horse show for a week. The people are similar in that they all have a lot of respect for tradition and treat each other well. It’s a dream come true to be able to work for the PGA of America right out of school.

“I’m so grateful. Gamecock Athletics has been so incredible. Coach Gwin has been so supportive, and the sports management program has made my wildest dreams come true. Coming to the University of South Carolina was the best decision I’ve ever made. I was able to pursue athletics in the SEC at an elite level. We were able to win SECs and nationals. I was able to work major championships in golf. South Carolina made me who I am today.”