Record Chasing for Bangor Comes Naturally

Ian Bangor, a member of the 2011 PING Mid-Atlantic Region team, has always been a team player.  His goals of a team national title only further that thought.

During his high school career at Sewickley Academy, Bangor was part of WPIAL championship teams his first three years of high school.  He still believes that his senior year was the best team they had despite being his only year without a WPIAL title.

Winning a championship is his main goal as a member of the Carnegie Mellon University golf team.

"Really what all of us want is to make the Division III National Championships," Bangor said.  "We structure everything based on getting to that, and this is our year to do that."

Although the 2010 season was solid for the Tartans, the team did not reach the goals they had set for themselves.  Bangor believes that 2011 can be different.

"We have a large batch of very good players, all of which have potential to compete," Bangor said.  "All that competition will give us a better team."

The constant competition in the golfing lineup keeps the golfers on their toes knowing they have to continue to play at the top level or more talented golfers will pass them up.

"The guy who shoots the highest score in the last match has to compete for his spot," Bangor said.  "That competition lines us up to play our best."

Bangor hasn't skipped a beat with the transition from high school to college golf. In high school, golfers compete in nine-hole matches, while in college, they play 18 holes.

One of the main reasons he didn't notice the change was because he has been playing full matches for most of his golfing career outside of high school.

"I played in them (18-hole tournaments) as much as five times a week," Bangor said.  "I've been playing them since I was 10."

Most of these tournaments came during the summers, when he competed in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).  According to the AJGA's website, they define their organization as "dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf."

"It's definitely very difficult to get into," Bangor said.  "I finished top 10 once.  It was before my sophomore year.  I broke 70 and finished third."

Golfing for the Tartans means a lot for Bangor, as he follows his father, the first all-region golfer in Carnegie Mellon golf history.

"It is definitely a cool thing," Bangor said.  "My uncle always jokes with my dad that it took him four years, and I did it in one."

When he was deciding what school to go to, Carnegie Mellon was always an option because of his father, but it was not the only choice.

"I did my own process," Bangor said.  "My dad playing here was definitely a factor, but I still looked around.  My teammates are great here, and the team and coach make the whole difference."

Carnegie Mellon head golf coach Rich Erdelyi grants a lot of freedom to his golfers, and his way of running the program intrigued Bangor.

"We set a goal of how many times we get out," Bangor said.  "We don't have a schedule though.  You can optimize your time with what you need to get done, like if you need to see a teacher. It helps having flexibility."
 
The unconventional practice schedule didn't hurt Bangor from hitting the ground running in his freshman year.

At the Guy W. Kuhn Invitational hosted at The Country Club of Meadville by Allegheny College last September, Bangor won the two-round tournament with a three-under par 141.

The 141-stroke tally broke the Carnegie Mellon two-round low, and those goals are unquestionably something that he looks at for motivation.

"I have looked at the school records," Bangor said.  "I do keep those as goals to accomplish."

When Bangor is trying to find inspiration to lead his team to the national title, he will look at those goals.

"They give you an extra drive," Bangor said.  "It's something to shoot at, a specific number."