MOON TWP. — With graduation at Moon Area High School less than two months away, Chris Sabol already has his sights firmly focused on the future. He knows what he wants to do with his life's work.
"Hopefully, I want to work at a very exclusive country club as a golf pro," he said.
That's a lofty dream but a dream Sabol believes will someday become reality.
He's already taken a few steps in that direction by playing golf in high school and as a junior member at Montour Heights Country Club. He landed a couple part-time golf-related jobs in recent years. He shadowed club pros at Montour Heights for his senior project.
In August, his career path will lead him to Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC.
He's enrolled in Methodist's reputable PGA Golf Management program, which prides itself as a leader in producing college-educated PGA professionals who want to pursue a career in the golf business.
"It's the best," said Montour Heights assistant pro Alex Megrey, a 2004 Methodist graduate. "If you want to do the golf thing, Methodist is the place to go. It's highly recommended."
Graduates of Methodist work at many of the top golf venues in the country. That list includes Augusta National, Trump National Doral, Merion, Winged Foot, Bethpage and Pebble Beach.
Several Methodist grads also work at private facilities in the Pittsburgh area. Beside Megrey, there's Montour Heights head pro Zach Street; Tony Traci, a Quigley Catholic grad who's the pro at South Hills Country Club; Meghan Bickford, an assistant at the Pittsburgh Field Club; and three members of the staff at Oakmont Country Club including head pro Devin Gee.
"I'm really happy for Chris that he's chosen that path," Street said. "Methodist is an NCAA Division III school. It's very small. But for the golf program itself, it has to be one of the best on the country.
"You might not get the major-college feel, but as a Methodist graduate, I can call several hundred people from across the country because of my Methodist ties. It's like a fraternity. We kind of take care of each other."
In Sabol's own family are relatives who've worked or still work in the golf business.
His cousin Nick Sabol, a 1994 Freedom graduate, attended Catawba College, an NCAA Division II program in Salisbury, N.C. He was the 1995 D-II national Freshman of the Year.
After leaving Catawba, Nick Sabol worked five years in North Carolina, first as an assistant at a country club then as head pro at a public course. When he returned to western Pennsylvania, he landed jobs as an assistant at Fox Run Golf Course, Montour Heights and Harmony Ridge Golf Club
Jimmy Casello, another of Chris Sabol's cousins, is a 2007 Ambridge grad who attended Methodist. He's now caddy master at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. Seminole consistently ranks as one of the top 100 courses in the country.
While at Methodist, Sabol hopes to make the Monarchs' golf team. He'll take part in a tryout once he arrives.
"It's a great golf team," he said. "They're rated No. 1 in the country (in NCAA D-III rankings)."
As far as his golf career at Moon, Sabol said that for the most part he's happy with how things worked out. He wishes that the Tigers as a team would have fared better in the WPIAL playoffs. He's disappointed that he never qualified for the PIAA Championships.
But he did advance to the WPIAL Championships as a junior and senior. He got to play in the finals at prestigious Oakmont as a junior. That was an experience he'll never forget.
Then last fall as a senior, he won the WPIAL 3A title at Nemacolin Country Club. Sabol and Latrobe's Brady Pevarnik tied for first after 18 holes of regulation at even par 70. Then in sudden death, Sabol won with a par.
Sabol is the fourth Moon golfer to win a WPIAL boys championship since the individual tournament was first held in 1946. Past Tigers to win were Scott Arthur in 1973, Jack Vernocy in 1957 and Ken O’Gorman in 1955.
"That was just an awesome experience," Sabol said.
"I couldn't be more proud of Chris," Street said. "I've kind of watched him grow up. He's been a member here for three years. He worked his tail off all summer. He put in so many hours at the range and on the course. He was the leader of that group of kids from Moon.
"Chris had a great high school career and he has a great future ahead of him."