Who is Amy Anderson?: Golf Digest Woman: Golf Digest

Who is Amy Anderson?

Friday, July 8, 2011 Comments

COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. -- A special treat at any U.S. Open is seeing fresh faces pop up on the first page of the leaderboard. Amy Anderson, an 18-year-old amateur from North Dakota, has captured everyone's attention.

After getting up and down on the 18th green, Anderson posted the first sub-70 round at the 66th U.S. Women's Open (69).

"I wasn't expecting it," said Anderson, after she was asked about being the first-round leader. "I was pretty nervous on the first tee this morning and then settled down...First day leader, that's way more than I could have really imagined."

The small-town girl is a rising junior at North Dakota State, and her brother, Nathan, is on the bag this week.

"I never really played around the mountains," said Anderson. "My brother is figuring 'em out pretty well, and that's helped a ton...I think he knows [my game] a little better than I do. He just tells me what to do and I do it."

The Andersons belong to Oxbow Country Club in southeast North Dakota, where a family membership costs just $225 per month. Indeed, Oxbow is a town of about 300 people without a grocery store or a gas station. And since the winters are long, Anderson has been practicing outdoors for just two months this season.

"I actually take a break in November and December, and then I start hitting again in the first of the year," said Anderson. "But it's not because of the weather. It's just because I need a break mentally...When the spring comes I'm ready to go. I'm really excited."

Although Anderson is hitting the ball well and putting even better, she remains shocked that she's leading the championship.

"I don't expect to go out and win this or continue playing like this," said Anderson, who's been averaging more than 270 yards off the tee. "I'm gonna try and work as hard as I can to do that, but I'm just going out there and having fun. This is an awesome experience."

(Photo by the USGA)

--Ashley Mayo