 Anderson began training at age 13; in 1944, at age 14, she won her first out of six consecutive Montana State Women's Amateur golf championships (1944-49), with a local outlet calling her a child prodigy.In 1949, Anderson moved to Corvallis, Oregon to attend Oregon State University, where she joined the sorority Alpha Phi.While there, she practiced with friend and fellow golfer Grace DeMoss, competing as both partners and opponents at times.