SOUTHERN PINES — Participating in the U.S. Women’s Open is a dream come true for every player in the field.

But for Savannah Thompson, a different kind of participation — not as a player, but as part of the television broadcast — is also the realization of a dream, especially in her hometown.

The Southern Pines native and former UNC Pembroke golfer is working as a field producer for Golf Channel during this week’s tournament at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.

“It just feels like everything’s coming full circle for me,” Thompson said. “It was kind of a goal in 2014; I’ve always wanted to work for the Golf Channel, so I remember thinking in 2014, whenever (the U.S. Open) comes back I want to work. Playing is obviously not really an option for me, but it really does feel like I’ve hit all my goals now, and it’s like, what’s next?”

Thompson “got into the game” after coming to the U.S. Women’s Open with her father in 2007, the last time Pine Needles was the host. Then, in 2014, when Pinehurst No. 2 hosted both the men’s and women’s U.S. Opens in consecutive weeks, Thompson volunteered as a standard bearer — even walking with the final group of Rickie Fowler and tournament champion Martin Kaymer on Sunday of the men’s event.

Her role this week is “coordinating” highlights for Golf Channel’s Live From the U.S. Women’s Open — which she described as an often-hectic role during the four days of tournament play, directing cameramen to shoot highlights of various players on the course and setting up post-round interviews.

Thompson first worked a U.S. Women’s Open last year in San Francisco. Her normal job in a non-Open week, based at Golf Channel headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, is as an associate producer in the news department, including the Live From, Golf Central, Golf Today and pre- and post-game shows.

“Monday through Wednesday, I work on the Golf Today show,” Thompson said. “I also do highlights on the weekends, so on Thursdays I just watch golf all day long — which, I can’t complain about. And then I do the highlights for pre- and post-game on Thursday through Sunday.”

Thompson graduated from UNCP in 2018; she interned for Golf Channel in the summer of 2017 before becoming a freelance production assistant after graduation. She was then promoted to full-time production assistant, then to associate producer.

She credits her education at UNCP for playing a major role in her career success.

“I went to a small D-2 school and I’m comfortable around cameras, I’m comfortable setting up audio, doing all these things,” Thompson said. “The experience that you get at UNCP, even though it’s a small school, is similar to all these Division-I colleges, like the Syracuses of the world. I work with people who went to these big schools, and I feel like I’m just at the same level as they are because of the experience you get at UNCP.”

So now with one of her major goals checked off, what’s next?

“I really need to start thinking about my next goals, because this was one of my last goals that I had on my list,” Thompson said. “I would like to be promoted again to producer, that’s probably my next goal, but I’m just taking it one week at a time right now.”