Confident Anderson ready for Interstate
By Barry Poe Journal sports writer | Posted: Friday, June 01, 2007
A couple of years ago, J.D. Anderson showed up at the Interstate Amateur Championship and a lot of people wondered who he was.
But, after holding off two-time former champion Jim Anderson by one shot to win the 2005 title and repeating as champion last year, the West Des Moines resident has become as recognizable as the hundreds of trees that line the fairways at Two Rivers Golf Club.
And, make no mistake about it, the top players from Northwest Iowa are quite aware of Anderson's talent.
"I'm pretty confident playing at Two Rivers," said Anderson, who grew up in Pocahontas and played at Wayne State College. "I've always liked playing there because it's more of a position course so you don't have to be a big bomber.
"My strength is usually keeping it in the fairway and if you do that, you're going to stay out of trouble there."
Beginning on Saturday, Anderson will be shooting to become the first player since at least 1980 to win three straight Interstate crowns. The 73rd installment of this prestigious event and Sioux City's second "major" of the season has attracted a strong collection of the area's most accomplished shotmakers.
The entire field plays 18 holes each on Saturday and Sunday with the top 30 and ties playing an additional nine beginning at around 2 p.m. Sunday.
J.D. Anderson, who finished fifth in the 2006 Iowa Golf Association player of the year standings, last year became the first player since Dan Freed in 1993 and '94 to win back-to-back Interstate titles.
"With everybody saying that nobody has three-peated, it adds a little pressure," said the 33-year-old employee of Pioneer Hybrids in West Des Moines. "It's still early in the year, but I've been putting up some pretty good numbers. My putting isn't quite there yet, but the greens at Two Rivers are pretty flat, so hopefully it will come around this weekend."
Putting certainly wasn't an issue last year when Anderson bolted out of the gate with a 6-under-par 64 in the opening round. He followed that up with a 69 on Sunday before matching par on the final nine holes for a 7-under 169.
Hard-charging Jeff Donaldson, who plays regularly at Two Rivers, fired a 3-under 33 over the last nine holes but fell three strokes short. Donaldson, who finished second last month in the Tri-State Masters, Sioux City's first "major," is one of a number of legitimate challengers to Anderson's throne.
Jim Anderson, a veteran Sergeant Bluff-based linkster, wound up third last year after just missing his third Interstate victory a couple of years ago. Anderson missed the Tri-State Masters because of prior commitments, but is in the field this weekend.
Sioux Cityan Ayron Corporon repeated as Tri-State Masters champion, once again besting the field over 54 holes on three different courses -- Two Rivers, Covington Links and Green Valley. Corporon, who missed the cut in last year's Interstate, shot 67 at Two Rivers in the first round of the Tri-State Masters.
Other former champions competing this weekend are Freed (1990, '93, '94), Dale Erwin (1992), Todd Sapp (1989, '96), and Bob Brummel (2001).
Al Pottebaum and Brian Schultz, a pair of outstanding players from Le Mars, finished fourth and sixth, respectively, last year.
"All of those guys are good players and I enjoy playing with all of them," said J.D. Anderson. "I really enjoy coming here because the people are so great. I've been here enough now that I know a lot of the names, so it's a fun time all around."
But, after holding off two-time former champion Jim Anderson by one shot to win the 2005 title and repeating as champion last year, the West Des Moines resident has become as recognizable as the hundreds of trees that line the fairways at Two Rivers Golf Club.
And, make no mistake about it, the top players from Northwest Iowa are quite aware of Anderson's talent.
"I'm pretty confident playing at Two Rivers," said Anderson, who grew up in Pocahontas and played at Wayne State College. "I've always liked playing there because it's more of a position course so you don't have to be a big bomber.
"My strength is usually keeping it in the fairway and if you do that, you're going to stay out of trouble there."
Beginning on Saturday, Anderson will be shooting to become the first player since at least 1980 to win three straight Interstate crowns. The 73rd installment of this prestigious event and Sioux City's second "major" of the season has attracted a strong collection of the area's most accomplished shotmakers.
The entire field plays 18 holes each on Saturday and Sunday with the top 30 and ties playing an additional nine beginning at around 2 p.m. Sunday.
J.D. Anderson, who finished fifth in the 2006 Iowa Golf Association player of the year standings, last year became the first player since Dan Freed in 1993 and '94 to win back-to-back Interstate titles.
"With everybody saying that nobody has three-peated, it adds a little pressure," said the 33-year-old employee of Pioneer Hybrids in West Des Moines. "It's still early in the year, but I've been putting up some pretty good numbers. My putting isn't quite there yet, but the greens at Two Rivers are pretty flat, so hopefully it will come around this weekend."
Putting certainly wasn't an issue last year when Anderson bolted out of the gate with a 6-under-par 64 in the opening round. He followed that up with a 69 on Sunday before matching par on the final nine holes for a 7-under 169.
Hard-charging Jeff Donaldson, who plays regularly at Two Rivers, fired a 3-under 33 over the last nine holes but fell three strokes short. Donaldson, who finished second last month in the Tri-State Masters, Sioux City's first "major," is one of a number of legitimate challengers to Anderson's throne.
Jim Anderson, a veteran Sergeant Bluff-based linkster, wound up third last year after just missing his third Interstate victory a couple of years ago. Anderson missed the Tri-State Masters because of prior commitments, but is in the field this weekend.
Sioux Cityan Ayron Corporon repeated as Tri-State Masters champion, once again besting the field over 54 holes on three different courses -- Two Rivers, Covington Links and Green Valley. Corporon, who missed the cut in last year's Interstate, shot 67 at Two Rivers in the first round of the Tri-State Masters.
Other former champions competing this weekend are Freed (1990, '93, '94), Dale Erwin (1992), Todd Sapp (1989, '96), and Bob Brummel (2001).
Al Pottebaum and Brian Schultz, a pair of outstanding players from Le Mars, finished fourth and sixth, respectively, last year.
"All of those guys are good players and I enjoy playing with all of them," said J.D. Anderson. "I really enjoy coming here because the people are so great. I've been here enough now that I know a lot of the names, so it's a fun time all around."
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