The term “Pathways” seems very appropriate for Eric Kleser’s journey, as his is not an everyday one. At 43 years old, he was easily – by two decades or more – the oldest of the 25 college students who were selected to participate in this year’s USGA Pathways Discover Program, the annual 10-day immersive internship program that is centered each year around the U.S. Open.
But with Eric recently completing the program, held June 12-22 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., he found that he was not walking the journey alone.
Eric (right) found a kindred spirit in the Discover program, chatting with fellow intern Viva Kreis (left), a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force who just completed Officer Training School and is now training for the 2028 Olympics in Team Handball.
Growing up in Vancouver, Wash., immediately after graduating from Evergreen High School Eric enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Trained as a crew mechanic and flight engineer, he was first stationed in Japan, and for the next 20 years devoted himself to his military career.
Soft-spoken and modest, he slowly recounted his service in the Air Force. “I flew over 4,000 flight hours on MC-130s (special operations), E-4B, and AWACS,” he said. “I was recognized as a member of the best air refueling crew in the U.S. Air Force in 2013. I have a meritorious service medal, 10 air medals, and six aerial achievement medals as my top decorations.” He also deployed numerous times to Afghanistan and Kuwait, and flew over 1,000 combat sorties.
In 2021, after 20 years of service, Eric retired as a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant. He was just 38 years old. “I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do next,” he said. “But I had a general idea.”
For his final assignment in the military, Eric was stationed at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, located in Germany where it borders The Netherlands. While there, he met Jessica St. Louis, a native of Boston who was traveling in Europe on vacation. Eric followed her to Boston after he retired, and the two soon married.
Because of his love for sports, he got a job as a tour guide in the sports museum at TD Garden, which is the home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics and NHL’s Boston Bruins.
“I love sports history,” Kleser says. “One of the greatest enjoyments of my job at TD Garden is explaining to visitors the events that occurred there, who did what, all the great history that happened.”
He soon enrolled in the sports management program at Suffolk University, and this fall will be entering his senior year. “The business side of the sports industry is really fascinating,” he says. “Getting everyone to work together for a common goal, helping people and communities succeed, is really something I’ve been doing my entire life, so it seems a real fit.”
A professor and mentor to Eric at Suffolk, Skip Perham in the school’s sports management program, told Eric about the Pathways Discover Program.
“I was hesitant at first,” Eric said about sending in his application. “Being in my early 40s, I knew I wasn’t your average applicant for this type of internship. I knew I was different.”
At one of the seminars with golf industry professionals during the program, Eric took his turn to speak of his life experiences.
But he was one of the 25 people selected for the program, out of 782 applications from 44 states and nine countries the program received this year. The final cohort included four collegiate golfers and two First Tee alumni, reflecting the many unique paths that can lead to a future in golf.
“Everyone in the program, including all the other interns, were very accepting of me,” he said. “I’m looking at them and I’m thinking how talented and smart they are as well. Really, it was all a good mix. Everyone brings something to the table. It was very similar to my time with NATO – we’re all different, but we generally all have the same goals.”
This year’s group of 25 interns got to see every aspect of what goes on in staging a U.S. Open. They visited, and took part in, the hospitality, merchandise tents, TV and communications trucks, on-site operations and technology, even spent time with the greenkeepers who got the golf course in shape for the best golfers in the world.
“The Pathways program really lets you know how many different careers there are just in the golf industry alone,” Eric said. “The opportunities are there.”
About Pathways Discover Program
Continuing its mission to inspire and develop tomorrow’s leaders in golf and sports, the USGA selected 25 interns to participate in the Pathways Discover Program during the 2026 U.S. Open, held last month at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Now in its fifth year, the program has graduated more than 100 interns, helping ensure emerging talent can build meaningful careers in the game of golf and the broader sports industry. Click here for more information.
