It’s Not PGA Tour, but Anderson Glad to Be Back in the Swing

It’s been more than 10 years since Craig Anderson and Scott Simpson played college golf together at USC.

In that span, Simpson’s and Anderson’s golf careers have taken distinctively different paths. Simpson, who won a U.S. Open Championship in 1987, has become one of the more consistent golfers on the PGA tour. Anderson, meanwhile, toiled on the mini-tour and the Asian tour three years before an arthritic back condition forced him to give up the game in 1982.

But while Simpson was succeeding in golf, Anderson was content to succeed in the business--by owning a contracting company.

However, Anderson seemed just as content to be playing golf again Saturday in the Century Club Matches at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club. Maybe it wasn’t the PGA Tour, but at least he was able to swing a club again without a shooting pain going through his body.

Playing as an amateur again, Anderson and his teammate, Frank Merhar, lost to professionals Chris Starkjohann and Scott Mahlberg by two strokes. Anderson and Mahlberg earned 1 1/2 points by tying Starkjohann and Mahlberg on the back nine at three under par. But Mahlberg and Starkjohann earned 7 1/2 points by winning the front nine, four under to two under, and taking the 18-hole match, seven under to five under.

Overall, the five professional twosomes outscored the amateurs, 30-15. Each match was worth nine points.

Although his team lost, Anderson said he played fairly well, considering the circumstances. Because his back still gives him problems occasionally, Anderson does not practice and restricts his playing to tournaments.

Anderson said he dreamed of a career on the PGA tour after graduating from USC in 1979, but now his goals are less lofty.

“I know I’ll probably never play on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I just want to be a good amateur player.”

Although his round was solid, Anderson made a glaring error at a crucial time.

With his team tied at one under after eight holes, Anderson was staring at a five-foot par putt while Mahlberg was looking at a 20-footer on the bottom half of a tiered green. Mahlberg sunk his putt and Anderson’s slid by the cup.

“That turned out to be a pretty big miss and they made a really tough putt,” Anderson said.

But Anderson, who was on last year’s losing amateur team, said he expects a good showing by himself and his amateur teammates today.

“No one really played very well last year,” he said. “I wasn’t quite as up for last year’s tournament as I am for this one. I think we have a real good shot of pulling it out this year.”

Ninety points are at stake today as individual and team scores will count. Also at stake is the series lead, the amateurs and pros are tied at nine victories.

In the other matches: pros Scott Bentley and Garry Griggs defeated Ken Earle and Bob Imlay, 7 1/2 to 1 1/2; amateurs Pat Duncan and Jim Meyers defeated Cesar Sanudo and Joe DeBock 7 1/2-1 1/8; amateurs Darryl Miller and Darryl Wilkins tied pros Tommy Jackson and Fred Wood, 4 1/2 to 4 1/2; and pros Bob Hitzel and Grant Garrison beat Gordon Jenkins and Matt Reno, 9-0.