Thunder Ridge’s Anderson battled through inconsistency to win a second state crown

IDAHO FALLS — Back-to-back state championships are a rare achievement, but a few were brought back to eastern Idaho this season. Among those two-time champs was Thunder Ridge High School senior Justin Anderson, who claimed his second consecutive state boys’ golf individual title.

Anderson said that his senior season lacked the consistency he would have liked — “But I played well during the tournaments that mattered.” And that was never more true than at the state tournament, when he said, “My driver was pretty bad all week. I just found a way to score.”

The senior erased a three-stroke hole in the second round of last year’s two-round state tournament to capture the championship as a junior. Following the title, and a summer that included victories on some of junior golf’s biggest stages, he entered his final season of high school golf with added pressure.

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Admittedly, some of that pressure was his own doing — the product of expectations he put on himself. But that made the taste of victory all the sweeter.

“This year’s (state tournament) was a lot more satisfying winning than last year’s, that’s for sure,” he said.

The state tournament, Anderson said, was played at Nampa’s RedHawk Golf Course, a track with which he is quite familiar. Due to its difficulty, it hosts junior state championships. Long and, in places, treacherous, RedHawk is unforgiving for players who are not putting their drives where they want — which was something he could not do the week of the tournament.

Already a champion, though, Anderson approached the tournament like a champion and made sure his misses were in areas that allowed him to scramble for pars. Missing in the wrong spots can leave you with “some pretty big numbers,” he said.

Then, he capitalized on the holes where it was possible.

Anderson went into the red both rounds, shooting a three-under 68 in round one and a one-under 70 in round two. He finished his run at the repeat by beating Mountain View’s Gavin Mlynarik in a playoff hole.

Winning another state title wasn’t the only exciting news Anderson created this season. In November, he signed a letter of intent to attend and play college golf at Boise State University.

He said that his mother’s family lives in the Boise area, which influenced his decision to attend BSU.

“And it’s D1, and they’re moving to the Pac 12 so it’ll be fun, for sure,” he added.

Anderson has been playing golf since he was a toddler. And while it was just a fun sport for years, he decided to take it seriously when he arrived at Thunder Ridge, realizing it could be something he could compete in beyond high school.

Now, he is a two-time state champion, and East Idaho Sports boys’ golf Player of the Year and soon-to-be NCAA Division 1 golfer.