Amateur Anderson living Open dream

Between the ominous growling from a line of thunderstorms quickly emerging from behind the Rockies, to the thunderous footfalls of spectators pouring out of the grandstands, there was plenty of distraction when Amy Anderson stepped to the tee at The Broadmoor’s 13th. Most players, particularly those with a share of the lead in the US Women’s Open, would have lingered at the back of the tee box and waited for quiet before facing the par-4 dogleg left.

Not Anderson.

In fact, Anderson didn’t even flinch as she pegged it, consulted brother and caddie Nathan, then let one fly down the middle, roughly 20 yards past opponents Jennifer Song and Mina Harigae. Play was called for lightning just as Anderson stepped up to her 15-foot birdie putt on that green. Nearly 2 1/2 hours later, she emerged from the locker room when play was called for the day and fielded questions from the media, still with a smile on her face. At 2 under, after birdies at Nos. 5 and 9, she held the solo lead for much of the morning. Just before play was halted, Cristie Kerr birdied Nos. 5 and 6 to join her.

Even atop the Women’s Open leaderboard, even after tying for 12th at the NCAA Women’s National Championship two months prior, and even with 10 college victories to her name in two years as a North Dakota State Bison, Anderson still flashes the genuine smile she became known for during her march to victory at the 2009 US Girls’ Junior. It was the first time Anderson won on a truly national stage, but many still don’t know her name.

What remains to be seen is how easy it is to ice the girl from North Dakota. It doesn’t seem likely to happen, as she admitted to spending much of the day joking with Nathan that someone had better take a picture of her name atop the leaderboard, because it would be fleeting. That’s not true anymore.

“It’s going to be up there all night, so I’m excited,” Anderson laughed.

Anderson’s parents, coach and about 20 more friends and supporters from home also are here this week, after making the roughly 14-hour drive from Oxbow, ND. Since arriving in Colorado Springs June 28, Nathan has spent considerable time charting The Broadmoor’s tricky greens.

“These greens, you can’t read them,” Nathan said of the hidden breaks. Amy has put considerable trust in him this week in that department, and through the first 12 holes it appears to be paying off.

The pair are becoming something of a dynamic duo. It was Nathan who accompanied Amy to the national championship, not her parents. And after picking up Amy’s bag in numerous USGA and other amateur events, Amy says Nathan might just know her game better than she does.

One thing Nathan doesn’t need to worry about: calming Amy down on-course. He says he usually tries to figure out what she’s feeling, then go from there.

“She doesn’t get too nervous,” he said.

The toothy grin supports that statement, and also speaks to the unbelievable level of modesty Anderson has maintained.

Interest grew among gallery members Thursday, and everything from “Can you believe she’s only 18?” to “Can you believe she lives in North Dakota?” circulated as Anderson made her way around the East Course.

“I like being the underdog,” she said. “It’s a position I’m really comfortable with. I mean, to me, I don’t expect to go out and win this or continue playing like this. I mean, I’m gonna try and work as hard as I can to do that, but I’m just going out there and having fun.”

As the accolades keep piling up — and amid fielding constant questions about how she manages to maintain her game in the frozen North — Anderson remains loyal as ever to her beloved North Dakota. She likes the mental break that winter provides. After finishing home-schooling as a 16-year-old two years ago, she wasn’t ready to move cross country just yet, and she’s still not.

This is a girl who knows what she wants.

For more coverage of the US Women's Open and all things golf, go to Golfweek.com.