73rd Delaware Amateur: Day Three

Evan Barbin gets long-awaited title, wins at White Clay Creek

WILMINGTON, Del. – Being in the darkness of the Barbin family shadow used to fill Evan Barbin with envy and jealousy.

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The youngest Barbin watched his two older brothers (Austin and Zach) claim numerous titles, including Austin’s recent BMW Philadelphia Amateur crown, throughout the region as he dedicated every waking moment of each day to a game that didn’t care to reward him like it did his brothers.

“When I was in high school and Austin was a senior in high school he won basically every event that I played in with him,” Barbin, of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, said. “He had all of the spotlight and I was jealous but I wasn’t mature enough to handle it. I felt like I was in the shadows. As I have gotten older, I gained a great respect for him as a player and more importantly a brother. I am proud of all my brothers and I am their number one fan when I am not playing my best.”

Wednesday at White Clay Creek Country Club (par 72, 6,585 yards), Evan stepped into the light of the spotlight he created for himself. He’s the 73rd Delaware Amateur champion.

His 72-hole total of 13 under was good enough for a three-shot victory over Amory Davis of Bidermann Golf Club. Davis led Barbin by three shots heading into the final round after Barbin fired a 69 to Davis’ 68 in the morning 18. Barbin was the only player to break par in all four rounds.

“Being the Delaware Amateur champion means everything to me right now,” Barbin, 20, of Elkton, Md., said. “I’ve struggled for so long. My golf game never won me anything big. I’ve always loved this tournament. It is so close to home. This feeling is amazing. This means more than most people know.”

Barbin made the turn to the final nine four shots behind Davis. He walked to No. 11 with a one-shot lead.

You read that correctly.

Amory Davis, the 2007 titleholder, made a mess of No. 10 (par 5, 582 yards). His drive sailed right into the penalty area. His third shot sailed into an environmentally-sensitive penalty area, a no-play zone.

Just inside the edge of it, Davis played from it. He would make what he thought would be a miraculous bogey when he chipped in for six. He would be informed of a two-shot penalty by Official in Charge Grant Morse on the 12th tee.

Knowing this was finally the opportunity Barbin had hoped for, he stepped into a 3-iron from 250 yards for what would be one of his Championship moments. It landed 15 feet away. He canned the putt. 

“That was the best shot I’ve hit in a while,” Barbin, a rising junior at Liberty University, said. “I had 15 feet left and that was the first putt I made outside of 10 feet. That got me fired up. My heart rate was super high but I dialed it back in and remained calm.”

“They told us when the week started about these environmentally-sensitive areas of the golf course,” Davis, 35, of Santa Fe, N.M., said. “They are no-play zones. I was so in the moment that I wasn’t thinking to look for a stake. I saw a red line and assumed it was in a normal penalty area. I figured I could chop it out. I thought of the penalty like life. I am doing the best I can to control what I can control. If I dwell on it and make a scene, that is a waste of energy. Evan played great on the back nine.”

Barbin seized control of the tournament with consecutive birdies on Nos. 13 (par 3, 175 yards) and 14 (par 4, 375 yards). He hit an 8-iron to 15 feet on No. 13 and pured a pitching wedge from 140 yards to 7 feet on No. 14. But the most important shot was his fourth after hitting his second into the penalty area on No. 15 (par 5, 533 yards).

He spun a lob wedge from 80 yards to 10 feet and converted for a clutch par. Slowly slamming the door on Davis.

Barbin’s iconic Championship moment came at the last (par 4, 372 yards). Standing 15 feet away he had three putts to win. He only needed one.

“I was pretty numb when that putt went in,” Barbin said. “It didn’t really hit me until my dad came over and whispered words of encouragement. It is a putt I won’t forget for the rest of my life. In a sense, it is going to change my life.”

New in 2024, the Delaware Amateur is an official USGA Exemption event. Barbin, just like his brother Austin, earned their spots in the U.S. Amateur as a result of their victories in the Delaware Amateur and the BMW Philadelphia Amateur. Amory Davis is already in the field as a result of his New Mexico/West Texas Amateur title on June 12. Davis will be exempt from local qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Amateur.

Just before going to bed before the final day, Austin and Evan had a conversation. One only people with a sibling can understand. It’s a conversation that has meaning and impact.

“Austin emphasized sticking to my routine no matter what,” Barbin said. “It settled my nerves and it paid off. That conversation really stuck with me today. That was one of the first times he gave me sentimental advice. Austin believed in me last night and it sparked something.”

When Evan walks into Chesapeake Bay the next time he’s home, he will see something he hasn’t seen in his life. A trophy and photo about one of his wins. One he’s devoted his whole life to getting. 

“I’ve never worked harder for anything in my life than I have at golf,” Barbin said. “I never got any rewards from playing golf because I have never had any success that resulted in a trophy. Something just clicked when I returned home from school this year. I told myself I was really going to earn it this summer and make a name for myself. There were times where I didn’t want to work hard but I did. It makes all of it worth it.”

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.