Physics Major Tees Up Early Success

Samantha Wang checks scores obsessively when competing in golf tournaments. On the last round of the Women's Division III National Golf Championships, she kept even closer tabs on how the Carnegie Mellon University team was doing.

"I was sitting there clicking the refresh button almost after every shot," said Wang, a rising sophomore majoring in physics. "After I hit my shot on hole 17, I had to check to know. And when I saw the score, in my mind, there was no way we could lose."

The Carnegie Mellon women's team won their first national championship that day, with Wang being named as Division III National Women's Golf Freshman of the Year and herself and Coach Dan Rodgers recognized nationally by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). Rodgers believes the team's camaraderie is part of the key to their success.

"They want to win for each other, not for themselves and it showed this spring as they left it all out on the course to win our first women's national championship," Rodgers said. "They support each other, they are there for each other, they offer constructive criticism to each other, they make each other better people and they want to win as a unit."

Wang became interested in golf growing up in Singapore. She received a set of toy clubs at the age of 5. Her real passion started when she joined her father on the links.

"I was like, 'Oh, that sounds fun! I was to play golf with my dad,'" Wang said. "One day, he took me to the driving range, and I could see what he was doing. I fell in love with it from there."

At 13, she started beating her father. In high school she joined the varsity team and competed in tournaments against students from other international schools in southeast Asia.

She had to pause competing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In Singapore, we were on really strict lockdown for a year and a half," Wang said. "It was pretty crushing."

When she started her college search, she said golf was a factor. She met Rodgers, Carnegie Mellon's coach of the men's and women's golf teams, on a visit to Pittsburgh.

"When you're playing college sports, your coach is the adult you'll be spending the most time with, so I think it's really important you like him," Wang said. "Coach Rodgers really stood out. He's like the dad of our team."

Rodgers said that he was just as excited to have her on the team.

"Samantha is a very hardworking, dedicated individual and she puts her full effort into everything she does," Rodgers said. "She has this very matter-of-fact attitude."

Wang competed in her first collegiate tournament in fall 2023. She said she struggled during her first semester, both in her golf game and with the transition to college. With the help of teammates, she found herself growing in confidence both in her sport and in the classroom. She won two tournaments as an individual.

"I love my team; it's like a family," Wang said. "Whenever I was struggling with something, I could go to any one of them and ask for help. It's nice to be able to talk to others who have been in the exact same position. They've given me so much advice, and I'm so thankful to them for showing me the ropes."

Wang is looking forward to the future and wants to conduct research into astrophysics and cosmology. On her team, she said she has her eye on being captain, so she can give her teammates the same support she received.

"I'm so glad I've been able to play college golf," Wang said. "Everything ahead really excites me, and I'm really looking forward to it."