Camden native Cole Anderson had a memorable summer and fall.
The Florida State golfer, a redshirt junior, was tied for the lead after three rounds in his first major pro tournament in June, the Korn Ferry Tour’s Live and Work in Maine Open at the Falmouth Country Club in Maine, and wound up tied for third at a 14-under-par 270.
He has followed that with an impressive fall for the Seminoles as he led the team in scoring average. His 10 rounds of par or better also led the team and he finished in the top 10 in three of the four tournaments.
As a result, he has been named to the Fred Haskins Award Watch List, which goes to the nation’s collegiate golfer of the year. He is one of 20 on the list, but he said he is not paying attention to accolades like this for now.
“The main focus is on the team and making sure we’re all doing what we can to push forward towards a national championship,” he said.
The college season is broken up into two halves with fall and spring schedules capped by the NCAA championships in the last week of May. Anderson and his teammates are working out in the gym and playing golf before the Christmas break. The first spring tournament is the Watersound Invitational in Florida beginning in mid-February.
Anderson, who won two state Class A individual championships at Camden Hills High School and shared a third state title, said he was happy with the fall season and felt he played consistently good and “stress-free” golf in the four tournaments. He focused on a mental approach that relieved pressure he was putting on himself.
“I just trusted my natural ability,” he said. “That enabled me to free myself up, and it allowed me to play more consistently.”
He said a few mistakes cost him chances to win a tournament at the college level. But his showing at the Korn Ferry tournament gave him a confidence boost after tying for 40th among 169 golfers at the NCAA Division I golf championships in May.
“You never know what your potential is until you are able to see it in pressure situations when you have to hit important shots well and when you need to hole important putts here and there,” he said.
Anderson will graduate with a degree in finance in the spring, but he has another year of eligibility if he wants it. He could also turn professional after the spring.
“There will be a lot of different factors that will go into that decision,” he said. “My quality of play this spring will obviously have an impact on it.”
