Auburn University has been in golfing news recently with former player Jason Dufner winning two PGA tournaments in his last two attempts. Flying under the national media radar is 22-year-old Blayne Barber, a junior from Lake City, Fla.
Barber was ranked eighth in the nation going into the NCAA Greensboro Regional last weekend, according to Golfweek. He would finish in fourth place at two strokes under par. Barber was coming off a double bogey on hole 14 when he shot four strokes under par in his last four holes, including a hole in one on 16.
Barber's performance was expected, as he has been averaging slightly more than one shot under par this year. When asked if there was any added pressure from being ranked eighth in the nation, Barber said, "Nope. That's exactly where I want to be. My ultimate goal is to be number one."
The all-American golfer has been hard at work toward reaching this personal goal, and will lead the fifth-ranked Tigers to the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships from May 29-June 3.
Barber has been honored with several awards this year, including being named to his second consecutive Palmer Cup Team. He was also named a Ben Hogan Award semifinalist for the second time.
Barber said he owed his outstanding play this season to maturity, the patience that comes with it and excellent ball striking.
Assistant coach Evan Osteen said Barber's game has improved due to "maturity, patience, his swing improvement, his short game, ball striking and most of all his putting," have improved over their long coach-golfer relationship.
Osteen and head coach Nick Clinard have coached Barber throughout his collegiate career. They were all UCF Knights before moving to Auburn to coach and play respectively.
Clinard was proud of the team's performance last weekend, especially Barber's.
"That's what champions do," Clinard said when referring to Barber's hole in one,
However, the team's success cannot be attributed solely to Barber. Without a strong team behind him, the Tigers would not have had a chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
"Inside 10 feet he makes a lot of putts, and that's really what separates him from everybody else," Clinard said in reference to Barber's improved putting.
Indeed, Barber has had an excellent putting average of 28.7 per round this year.
Barber's putting average may well be the reason he is ranked first in the SEC in stroke average at 70.66 each round this year. He is only .02 strokes away from breaking Auburn's scoring record which was set in 1976 by Buddy Gardner, according to Auburn Tigers 2011-12 tournament notes.
"Blayne's future is extremely bright in whatever he attempts, be it golf or something else," Osteen said.
Barber is majoring in entrepreneurship and family business, but if he continues to succeed as an amateur golfer, the sky is the limit.
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