A 105-degree summer day in Phoenix, Ariz. won’t keep Michael Anderson away from a golf course.

And neither will 10-degrees in the Pullman wintertime.

It is dedication and work ethic like this that makes Head Coach Garrett Clegg believe Anderson is ready to lead the Cougar golf team out on the course this year.

“His skill level in all areas of the game has improved every year because of his tireless work ethic,” Clegg said. “He not only works hard, but he works hard in the right areas of his game to make himself a better player.”

Anderson, a senior from Phoenix, is returning with the lowest stroke average out of anyone on the team. He won a tournament his sophomore year and hasn’t missed a single one during his time at Washington State.

Clegg said there are a number of good players on the team, and he anticipates Anderson will be a huge part of the team’s success.

“He hits the ball incredibly straight, has great feel around the greens, and he is a very solid putter,” Clegg said. “He really he has the whole package.”

With just one year left in his collegiate career, Anderson is looking forward to simply just making the most of it.

“It’s my last year and I’m looking forward to making it my best,” Anderson said. “I’m excited to see how far we can go.”

Perhaps the biggest aspect of golf is one’s mental approach, and it is something that Anderson has been successful at managing.

“It’s kind of a cliché, but you have to take things as they are one step at a time,” Anderson said. “It’s really important not to dwell on your bad shots or bad rounds and kind of just focus on the next shot and next round and be as positive as you can.”

With this part down, all that’s left is to win tournaments and potentially make the All-Pac-12 conference team at the end of the year. However, Anderson’s father Steve measures his son’s success a different way.

“I think the best measure of his success has been the fact that he is been on the Pac-12 All-Academic team two years in a row,” Michael’s father said. “After being around these athletes for the last three years I can see how tough it is to keep up with your studies while you are practicing every day, and playing 13 tournaments every year.”

So far, it’s been a successful career at WSU for Anderson, and his family said his experience at the school has been outstanding

“He knows that it’s a privilege to be playing golf for Washington State, and knows he has a responsibility to play as well as he can to continue to earn that privilege,” His father said. “That’s what drives him.”

The season begins Monday, Sept. 8 at the USC/Pepperdine Invitational in Southern California. And you can bet you’ll see Michael’s name somewhere towards the top of the leaderboard.