Atirath Roy knew by age 10 that he wanted to build a career around golf. More than a decade later, the New Delhi native is leaving the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with two degrees, the university’s highest undergraduate academic honor and a job that puts him exactly where he wanted to be – on the golf course.
Roy graduates Saturday as a Chancellor’s Scholar, an honor given to students who earn an A in every undergraduate class, with degrees in PGA golf management and economics. He has already started his career as the lead assistant golf professional at GlenArbor Golf Club, a private club in Bedford Hills, New York.
“I initially came to Nebraska specifically for PGA golf management,” Roy said. “It is an incredibly niche program offered at only 16 universities in the country, and Nebraska stood out as the best fit for me,” Roy said. “As I progressed through college, I became increasingly interested in the business side of the golf industry and decided to pursue economics as a second degree.”
Roy began playing golf at age 6 and by 10, he knew he wanted to compete at a high level and pursue a professional career. Then he graduated from high school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The traditional pathway I imagined for myself changed considerably during the COVID era,” Roy said. “Nebraska’s PGA golf management major gave me an opportunity to build a career within the game I loved while continuing to develop as a competitive player.”
As his interest expanded while at Nebraska to the business that drives the golf industry, Roy knew adding economics would provide a broader perspective for his career.
“Graduating with both degrees represents a personal challenge I set for myself to explore two very different interests in depth and find ways to connect them in my future career,” Roy said. “PGA golf management was always my primary focus, but studying economics gave me a broader understanding of business, decision-making and how organizations operate.”
At GlenArbor, Roy works across the club’s golf operation and instruction. He teaches golfers across a wide range of abilities through junior and ladies’ clinics, individual lessons and sessions with accomplished amateur players.
The connections Roy formed during a summer internship in New York helped lead him to the position. On his days off, he visited golf courses, met industry professionals and learned about their operations.
“That networking ultimately helped lead me to GlenArbor and reinforced one of the biggest lessons I learned during college: opportunities often come from being willing to put yourself out there, meet people and learn from them,” Roy said.
His four years at Nebraska also taught Roy how much he could accomplish when he committed himself to a goal.
“A lot of it comes down to work ethic, something I inherited from my parents, Debroto and Toolika Bansal Roy. Growing up, I watched them work incredibly hard to give me the best opportunities possible. When I came to Nebraska, I wanted to make the most of the opportunity they had given me," he said.
Roy noted the Chancellor’s Scholar distinction represents more than academic achievement.
“I wasn’t always a great student in high school. College represented an opportunity to mature, become more disciplined and find out what I could accomplish if I fully committed myself," he said. "Balancing two degrees, internships, golf, work and campus involvement was not always easy, but learning to manage those responsibilities became an important part of my growth."
Now beginning his career, Roy does not have to choose among the different aspects of golf loves.
“I’m most excited to begin life as a PGA golf professional and continue building a career around the game,” he said. “I love teaching and interacting with golfers, and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop as an instructor while learning every aspect of the golf operation.”
He also plans to continue competing in PGA Section events and challenging himself as a player.
“One of the things I love most about this career is that I don’t have to choose between teaching, competing, learning and working in the business of golf,” Roy said. “I have the opportunity to pursue all of them.”
Roy said Nebraska also provided him with mentors, professional experiences and lifelong friends he could not have imagined when he arrived from India. He credits Blake Hansen, '26, a friend he met as a freshman from Dorchester, Nebraska, with helping him feel at home in the Nebraska university community.
“Leaving Nebraska as a Chancellor’s Scholar and beginning my career in golf feels like the end of one chapter but more importantly, the beginning of the next one,” Roy said.
