Michael Anderson’s competitive edge burns stronger today as a college player than it ever did in his younger years.

WSU men’s golfer Anderson, a 5-foot-11 junior out of Phoenix, Ariz., is entering his third season with the team, and has already tallied two top-ten finishes in two tournaments.

“My passion started with my friends in high school,” Anderson said. “They’d all go out after school and start playing golf. I’d go out just to hang out, and from there it turned into a competition within friends. And it expanded off of that. Before I knew it I was looking into trying to compete at the next level.”

Even for those that don’t know Anderson personally, it’s hard not to see his distinct competitiveness on the course.

In the Cougs’ season-opener at Pullman’s Palouse Ridge Golf Club, Anderson came out firing, carding a three-round score of 209 (-1) – including a team-best 66 (-4) in the second round – to give him a tenth-place finish. A week later, in the annual Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational, he had arguably one of his best rounds as a Coug, topping the 75-player leaderboard with a tie for 2nd place after marking a 211 (-5) after three rounds.

No matter the circumstance nor the tournament, there is no doubting the WSU junior’s desire for improvement. In the sports world, talent will only get athletes so far; the rest comes from a craving to compete.

“It’s great to be able to play with great golfers,” he said, “You really get to learn a lot and compare your game to them to see what you need to improve on. It really motivates you to become better and to achieve the highest level of golf you can.”

For Anderson, his own competitive edge led him to end his freshman year with a trip to the Pac-12 Conference Championships, where he finished tied for 35th overall.

In Anderson’s sophomore year, he has had a pair of top-five overall finishes, 13 out of 13 events for the Washington State team, a first-career tournament victory at the Snowman Getaway (in which he shot another 65, this time in the second round), and another trip to the Pac-12 Conference Championships, finishing tied for 24th overall.

For Anderson, his competitive edge for improvement never stops.

“I’d like to see myself be a little bit more consistent,” he said. “Every tournament is three rounds, and so I’ve struggled a little bit with having one or two good rounds, but then always that one round really hurts me. Consistency is important for me (to improve on) so that I have three good rounds to build off of every time.”

Whether leading tournaments on the course or representing his team off the course, Anderson acknowledges the closeness of his WSU teammates.

“We’re a huge family. Most of us live together or are roommates,” he said. “Between workouts, golf, and school we’re pretty much always together. So we all have really strong relationships. It makes it great because it really creates a good atmosphere (for the team).”