The first PGA TOUR event in Alabama history began on Thursday, July 16, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika.
Morning tee times at the inaugural Barbasol Championship spanned from 7 a.m. to 8:50 p.m.while afternoon golfers started play between 12 p.m. and 1:50 p.m.
There are three competitors with Auburn connections in the field of 130: former golfers Patton Kizzire and Blayne Barber and current golfer Ben Schlottman.
Patton was the earliest off the tee as he began his round on hole No. 10 at 8:28 a.m.
The former All-SEC performer shot even par in the first round of the tournament but was disappointed with his performance on the greens.
“I hit the ball really well,” Kizzire said. “My putting was pretty suspect. That was about as bad as I’ve putted in a long time. I feel like I turned a 64 or 67 into 71, which is not a whole lot of fun.”
Kizzire, a Tuscaloosa native, said he is enjoying playing in Auburn because his family and friends are able to see him play in person.
“I’m enjoying being here,” Kizzire said. “It’s a course I’m familiar with and it’s fun to see friends and family out here. It’s nice to have my mom, dad, sister and other family members out.”
Schlottman agreed that having his family at the tournament was special.
“It was nice to have them out here, have some support,” Schlottman said. “Kind of feel bad playing poorly in front of them, but that’s how golf goes sometimes.”
Schlottman shot a 4-over par 75 on Thursday.
The SEC Freshman of the Year said he enjoyed his first round in a PGA TOUR event despite not playing as well as he had hoped.
“It was a lot of fun,” Schlottman said. “I had a great group with Arjun (Atwal and Tom Hoge) and it was really cool talking to them ... [I] wasn’t my best, didn’t hit very good shots. I was really nervous the first few holes. I was just kind of uncomfortable on the first few holes and never really got in any kind of groove.”
Blayne Barber shot the best score out of the three Auburn representatives, posting a 2-under par 69 that earned him a tie for 25th place after day one.
“I was just kind of stuck in neutral for a while,” Barber said. “Made a couple of birdies, made a couple of bogeys. I felt lose and I just tried to hang in there. I feel like I’m leaving a lot out there, but at least I feel close.”
Barber said the comforts of home and family made it easier to focus on golf.
“I’ve got a lot of great friends and family out here that have been watching,” Barber said. “It’s always fun to have a response to shots and see people you love and appreciate out there.”
All three Tigers will compete again on Friday in the second round of the tournament.
Barber will be the first off the tee at 8:06 a.m. Kizzire and Schlottman will start their rounds at 1:28 p.m.and 1:39 a.m., respectively.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
