Sanders was born and raised in a golfing family in Scottsdale, Ariz. His mother and father still play often, and his older brother Tyler played three years at Fresno State before suffering a wrist injury, which brought his collegiate career to a halt. The makeup of his family makes it is easy to see why Sanders started playing golf at the age of 4.
Sanders had a stellar junior golf career, which started when he was 8 years old, and continued throughout his high school career. He represented Arizona at the International Tournament in China during his junior year at Brophy College Prep High School, and was ranked one of the top 100 golfers in the nation from graduating class of 2008. This success did not surprise the young star.
"It was the accepted thing because my brother did it," he said. "Playing with him for so long made it seem like a normal thing to do."
Sanders narrowed his college choices down to Washington State and Baylor, but chose to go crimson because he wanted to take on a new experience. Not only did he have to make the transition to a college-level curriculum, but he had to give up the tropical climate of Arizona for the nearly year-round chills associated with Pullman.
"The snow was sketchy. It's one thing to play a tournament in cold weather, but living in it is way different," said Sanders.
In his first year at WSU, he played in 12 tournaments and finished with the fourth-best freshman scoring average in school history. Sanders avoided a sophomore slump this season and improved his scoring average from last year by more than two strokes per round.
Many students have a hard enough time balancing schoolwork with their social lives, let alone all the added pressures and responsibilities student-athletes are confronted with. Being a collegiate golfer requires dedication to schoolwork, even when they travel across the country to compete in tournaments. Sanders said he understands and enjoys all the challenges that come with being a student athlete, and that getting a break from classes while on the road is not as painful as some might think.
Sanders has also remained committed to his faith, staying an active member of Athletes In Action, a Christian volunteer group which meets weekly on campus. Staying committed and taking on responsibility is a big part of why the Cougar up-and-comer enjoys the game of golf so much.
"The mental aspect is what separates (golf) from other sports, having to wait and think before each shot," said Sanders. "It's all on you when you mess up and you can't blame it on anyone else."
Though it may be hard to tell if Sanders was born with a gift to succeed at golf, it is easy to see how strong work ethic and dedication has led to his success on and off the course.
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