April 14, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Former South Carolina golfer Mark Anderson will compete in his first PGA Tour event as a professional this weekend as he will tee it up in the Verizon Heritage, which runs Thursday through Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island.

Anderson, a native of nearby Beaufort, S.C., was granted a sponsor’s exemption into the event. He competed in the Heritage last year as an amateur after winning the Players Amateur in the summer of 2008, earning an automatic berth into the field. He posted scores of 74-76=150 (+8), missing the cut but gaining invaluable experience in his first taste of the PGA Tour.

A 2008 South Carolina graduate, Anderson turned professional in September of 2009 and finished 34th at PGA Tour Qualifying school, earning fully exempt status on the Nationwide Tour. Through five Nationwide events, he has made the cut four times and picked up a pair of top-10 finishes to rank 16th on the money list. If Anderson can finish in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list, he would earn his PGA Tour card for 2011.

Anderson is not the only former Gamecock in this week’s field as Brett Quigley, who played for the Gamecocks from 1988-91, is competing as well. Quigley has played in 10 PGA Tour events this year, making the cut six times.

Anderson is paired with Chris Tidland and Blake Adams for the first two rounds, with a 1:40 p.m. tee time on Thursday off the No. 1 tee and a 9 a.m. start Friday on hole No. 10. Quigley will be in the first group off No. 10 at 7:20 a.m. Thursday, and at noon on Friday on No. 1, paired with Aaron Baddeley and Rocco Mediate. The Golf Channel will have live coverage on Thursday and Friday beginning at 3 p.m., and CBS will have the telecast at the same time Saturday and Sunday.