Anderson falls back but makes the cut

• Amy Anderson

AP Photo Amateur Amy Anderson, an 18-year-old North Dakota State student from Oxbow, waves after finishing the 10th hole during the conclusion of the delayed second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament Saturday at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, Colo.

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FARGO — Amy Anderson will celebrate her 19th birthday today by playing in the U.S. Women’s Open.

Ten years after her first golf tournament, Anderson has made it past the first two rounds of the premier women’s professional golf tournament.

“When I started out at age 9 … I always imagined playing in the U.S. Open,” said Anderson, who is playing in her first pro tournament. “It was my dream. I would look up to people playing in the LPGA.”

Anderson, who made the cut earlier in the day, had completed three holes in her third round when play was halted Saturday due to weather. She was 5-over par through 39 holes and tied for 34th place. Japan’s Mika Miyazato leads the event with a 5-under par score through 36 holes.

The tournament, which started Thursday, has been stopped numerous times due to weather.

“It’s frustrating,” said Anderson, who is a golfer at North Dakota State golfer and from Oxbow. “I think that is the sentiment of everybody right now. We just want to get out there and get it done.”

Play is scheduled to resume at 6:45 a.m. today. The majority of the 72 golfers that made the cut have yet to start their third rounds. The USGA still hopes to complete the tournament today.

Anderson made the cut Saturday after she carded a 6-over par 77 in her second round at the Broadmoor golf course in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Anderson’s score through 36 holes was 4 over, allowing her to play through to the final two rounds of the event.

“It was awesome because that was my goal coming in here,” Anderson said of making the cut. “Just to accomplish that was really exciting. I really had that in the forefront of my mind all spring and summer practicing so have it pay off is really special.”

Making the cut at the Open is the latest feat in what has been a career filled with remarkable moments for Anderson.

Anderson won that first tournament that she played in a decade ago in Detroit Lakes, Minn., at age 9. At age 12, she won the Fargo-Moorhead Junior All-City.

At 17, Anderson won the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. Later that summer, she became the first female to make the championship flight at the Pine-to-Palm tournament, a prestigious area tournament held in Detroit Lakes.

Last month, Anderson became the first female to play in the KX4/Bank of the West Amateur, which was held at the Moorhead Country Club.

Now, she’s playing on the biggest stage with the top women’s golfers in the world.

“Each one has been so much fun,” Anderson said. “At each time, I’m just like ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’ And then the next thing happens and it does get better. It’s just so much fun and I feel so blessed to be where I am.”

Anderson was 2-under par through her first round, which spanned two days due to weather delays, at the Open. She completed her first round Friday.

Anderson started her second round Saturday morning. She got off to a slow start, carding four bogeys and one double bogey in the first 10 holes of the round.

Anderson said tough pin placement, three putts and missed fairways all played roles in the tough start to her second round.

“It was a combination of bad breaks and then tough pin placements and my stroke wasn’t quite on,” said Anderson, who hit 8 of 14 fairways in her second round after hitting 13 of 14 through her first 18 holes.

Anderson closed out her second round with eight consecutive pars. That solid run helped Anderson make the cut. She was one of five amateurs to make the cut. The cut line was at 7-over par.

“It’s definitely given me confidence that down the road that I could maybe do this as a career,” Anderson said. “But right now I am just enjoying the moment. It’s so much fun. I love the galleries. I could get used to this.”

Peterson is a sports reporter for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

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