73rd Delaware Amateur: Day One

Evan Barbin leads after 69 in blustery conditions

WILMINGTON, Del. – Evan Barbin has seen his brother’s Austin and Zach celebrate big wins. 

| Scoring | History |

Zach, who won the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship and Joseph H. Patterson Cup in 2020 and Austin, the reigning Philadelphia Amateur champion, have held the recent golf headlines in the Barbin family. But Evan is looking to get a headline of his own.

“I’ve always had faith in my game,” Barbin said. “I do learn a lot from Austin and Zach’s experiences. I’ve got no jealousy towards them. It’s just great to always have people to play with and we all support each other in any way we can. It’s just who we are.”

Evan, the youngest of the Barbin brother quartet, surged to the lead after Round One of the 73rd Delaware Amateur Championship with a 69 Monday at White Clay Creek Country Club (par 72, 6,820 yards).

Nick Ciocca, a rising freshman at the University of Notre Dame and of Aronimink Golf Club, and past champion Amory Davis (2007), of Bidermann Golf Club, sit in second after rounds of 70.

“I’ve been playing well ever since college ended,” Barbin, 20, of Elkton, Md., and a rising junior at Liberty University, said. “I was disappointed with how I went out at the Philadelphia Amateur but my swing feels good and I putted extremely well today. My putting and short game have improved a lot. I am making progress with my game and am proud of where it is.”

Defending Champion Blake Micholas, of Kings Creek Country Club, sits in a tie for 68th after an opening round of 85.

Barbin didn’t waste any time getting into red figures. He climbed to 3 under through his first 10 holes after a dazzling lob wedge from 75 yards to five feet on No. 10 (par 5, 582 yards).

The wind, blowing steadily with heavy gusts mingled throughout the day, played a part in the Day One story. The scoring average was 81.97. Barbin didn’t mind it.

“One of my strengths is flighting the ball low, which was key today in these conditions,” Barbin said. “All you can do is hit the shot you intend to and move on. The wind can play tricks with your mind and swing. I just wanted to trust my short game. This golf course isn’t your average Philadelphia golf course. There’s no room for error here.”

He mixed a bogey on No. 11 (par 4, 405 yards) and a birdie on No. 15 (par 5, 535 yards) on the back nine to reach his magic number. 

“I feel like I have always been a pretty good ball striker,” Barbin said. “For me, the biggest thing I have noticed is my ability to keep the ball in play because here at White Clay Creek that is important. My goal today was to play the same golf ball for the entire round. Hitting my tee ball well is the cornerstone of my golf game. If I can do that, I find that I play really well.”

Barbin, a rising junior at Liberty University studying sports management and finance, has learned quite a bit about college golf in his first two years. Coming off a season with a 74.93 scoring average, he’s hungry for more.

“At Liberty we had a ton of guys graduate this year, so we will have a young roster come the fall,” Barbin said. “It’s going to be fun to see where our team goes next year. College golf is so much different than junior golf. We practice pretty much every day for like 10-11 months. So it does mentally drain you. I was wiped out after my freshman year because I wasn’t prepared for college golf.”

What Barbin is prepared for is a battle of mental warfare over the remaining 54 holes at White Clay Creek. A cut Tuesday to the low 36 and ties, which results in a 36-hole final day Wednesday. With trouble lurking at every corner, momentum can change in an instant.

“I feel like I am in for a solid summer of golf,” Barbin said. “I am so close to winning a title. I am focused on remaining composed and try not to have outbursts. 54 holes is a lot of golf so I will try to make as many birdies as possible and keep the ball in play. That should give me a good chance to be around at the end.”

Stay tuned at gapgolf.org and the DSGA/GAP social media channels (@GAofPhilly/@DSGA_Golf) all week long for Delaware Amateur coverage.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 110,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.