Stu Anderson is in a good place in his life.
Having just returned from the rigours of the professional golf road, the Alberta native 鈥� who has long called Sooke home 鈥� is expecting the arrival of his first son with his partner Crystol on May 29.
It will expand the Anderson clan to five as daughters Trinidy, 12, and Coral, 5, eagerly anticipate the arrival of Luke (or Lucas) Bradley Anderson as well.
On the golf course, Anderson is also getting back to where he needs to be competitively as he continues to scrape together a livelihood in the ultra-competitive sport.
Having lost his Web.com Tour playing privileges this past season, the 35-year-old returns to PGA Tour sa国际传媒 with his full card for 2013 and looks forward to the opening sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open event the first week of June.
He garnered his PGA Tour sa国际传媒 status after winning the 2011 Tour Championship, which earned him two years exemption.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be home for the baby and then get geared up for the TC Open at Uplands,鈥� said Anderson, who turned in a 4-under 63 in Round 1 of the 50th annual Cedar Hill Open on Saturday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just nice to be home and playing golf competitively. I鈥檝e never seen Cedar Hill in such good shape,鈥� added the former Cedar Hill Open champion, who just missed an eight-foot putt for birdie on his last hole and is four shots back of Gord Scutt鈥檚 amazing 8-under 59. Round 2 goes today at the Saanich course.
As for Anderson, his attitude and demeanour are in a good place.
鈥淢y game is coming around. I left home Jan. 10 and didn鈥檛 get back until May 10. It was too long of a stretch. I got a little home sick in the end,鈥� said Anderson, who went out and shot 7-under on Thursday at Bear Mountain in a bogey-free round.
鈥淔amily wise, life couldn鈥檛 be better. Financially, it could be better, but as for feeling good and my home life, it鈥檚 great,鈥� said the 12-year veteran of the Canadian Tour (now PGA Tour sa国际传媒).
鈥淵ou need three quality equations in order to play professional golf.
鈥淵our closet has to be cleaned at home; your family life has to be on track. You have to be on financial track and, obviously, your golf game has to be on track. You need those three key elements. Right now, my golf game is coming around, so I鈥檓 at about 1.5 out of 3. The financial part will come once I start making some cheques again.鈥�
Anderson has called his 13-year professional golf journey, which began after he came out of college at 22, 鈥渁 school of hard knocks.鈥�
鈥淚 still believe and have faith that I can get there. We鈥檒l see this year. If I can play Top 5 and get back to where I was last year [back on the Web.com Tour] 鈥� sometimes you need to take a step back before you take steps forward,鈥� added Anderson, who identified his short game as his area of improvement.
On his last hole on Saturday he almost drove the green on the 290-yard par-4 9th (he started on the back nine), missing just right, but pin high. He settled for par after sliding an eight-foot putt for birdie right.
鈥淣ine times out of 10 I should get that ball up and down,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 today. That鈥檚 the one thing I need to definitely improve, my short game because I know I can hit it with the best players in the world. When I do miss it, I need to get it up and down.
鈥淭hose eight-footers need to be turned into three-footers.鈥�
And ultimately that will help him in being 3-out-of-3 on his equations list.
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