Mike Esse and his dad always talked about going to the Masters one day. Although his father isn’t tagging along to the famous golf tournament this week, all the talk has become reality -- and a really big opportunity -- for Esse.
“(My dad) is a little upset about that,” said Esse, jokingly.
The Masters tees off this week in Augusta, Georgia, and when the winner is presented with the coveted green jacket Sunday, Esse, a broadcast journalism major, will have been on site all week. He’s working as one of three producers for Westwood One’s radio coverage of the tournament. Westwood One has exclusive radio rights for the event, covering the entire tournament.
Esse will have a variety of duties throughout the week. Prior to its start, he has conducted research about the tournament and related storylines. When competition begins, Esse will produce elements for the live broadcast and shows, and work directly with coordinating producers, executive producers and talent. For most of the weekend, he will be in a production truck.
The Masters will be the first professional golf tournament Esse has attended. Being a golf fan, it is always something that he has wanted to do. While at Penn State, Esse has worked a variety of sports, but producing golf is a first for him.
Esse is looking forward to learning all that he can and seeing how the event works from a producer’s point of view.
“This is what I want to do for a career, whether it’s on radio or television, and being able to have this experience and be around the best in the business will be extremely valuable for me,” said Esse. “Howard Deneroff and Mike Eaby who are the lead guys for Westwood One are the best there is when it comes to live sporting events on the radio, so being able to work with them for a week as a member of their staff is going to be something that I can look back on for years to come.”
Esse first interned with Westwood One in the summer following his sophomore year. He has continued to do work for the network, most recently serving as a production assistant for NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in March at Westwood One's New York City studio.
“The fact that they reached out to me, a 21-year-old, to work the Masters just shows how much faith they have in their work and their system, and how great of a group of people it is to be around,” said Esse. “They have given many interns from Penn State in the past, present and I’m sure the future, unmatched opportunities during and after the internship, and I am lucky to be a part of it.”
Listeners can stream the live action on Masters.com and WestwoodOneSports.com. It will also be available on mobile devices via the Masters app.