Some of the world's best golfers are gathering at Medinah Country Club for the 2026 Presidents Cup.

Fans will see the players.

They'll see the course.

They'll see the competition between the United States and International teams.

What they won't always see are the hundreds of people required to make a major international sporting event happen.

That's where another side of sports begins.

The business behind the competition.

A Major Golf Tournament Is a Major Business Operation

Running an event like the Presidents Cup involves much more than preparing a golf course.

Think about everything fans experience before they ever see a player hit a shot.

Tickets have to be sold.

Corporate partners have to be managed.

Hospitality areas have to be operated.

Media needs access.

Transportation has to work.

Content has to be created.

Fans need food, merchandise, information and entertainment.

Sponsors need their partnerships activated.

Each responsibility creates work for sports professionals.

Career opportunities surrounding major golf events can include:

• Event operations

• Tournament management

• Corporate partnerships

• Sponsorship sales

• Hospitality

• Marketing

• Communications

• Broadcasting

• Ticketing

• Merchandising

• Fan experience

• Media relations

The athletes create the competition. An entire sports business organization creates the event.

Sponsorship Is Everywhere in Professional Sports

Major events also demonstrate how important partnerships are to the sports industry.

Companies don't simply purchase advertising.

They want meaningful ways to connect their brands with fans.

That can involve hospitality, digital campaigns, branded experiences, merchandise, social content and on-site activation.

For sports professionals, that creates careers focused specifically on building and managing those relationships.

Someone has to identify potential partners.

Someone has to negotiate the partnership.

Someone has to activate it.

And someone has to determine whether it worked.

Those are all parts of the modern sports business.

Major Events Can Be Career Opportunities

There is another reason aspiring sports professionals should pay attention to events like the Presidents Cup.

Major events bring the industry together.

Executives.

Sponsors.

Media.

Athletes.

Agents.

Vendors.

Tournament staff.

Volunteers.

Business leaders.

That concentration of sports professionals creates opportunities to meet people, learn how events operate and understand different career paths.

You might attend because you love golf.

But if you want to work in sports, you should also be asking:

Who is making all of this happen?

Learn the Business Behind the Game

The skills required to operate a major golf tournament aren't limited to golf.

Event management, marketing, sponsorship, leadership, communications and business operations transfer across virtually every sport.

That's why learning the business side of sports can open far more career possibilities than focusing exclusively on one team or league.

SMWW offers specialized sports-business education designed to help aspiring professionals understand how the industry works and develop skills they can use to pursue opportunities within it.

Explore SMWW Sports Administration

Watch Sports Differently

If you want to work in sports, start looking beyond the scoreboard.

At the Presidents Cup, watch the golf.

But also notice the sponsors.

The hospitality.

The broadcast.

The signage.

The social content.

The fan experience.

The operations.

Every one of those areas requires professionals.

And every one represents another possible way to build a career around the sports you love.

Don't just watch the event. Learn who makes the event possible.