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St. Mark's alumnus Philip Barbaree Jr. '13 is off to a strong start at the 2019 U.S. Amateur.

PBJ cruises into match play at U.S. Amateur

Roy Lang III, Shreveport Times
Published 3:26 p.m. CT Aug. 13, 2019 | Updated 8:04 a.m. CT Aug. 14, 2019

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Philip Barbaree Jr. posted a 3-under 67 on the No. 4 Course at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club and vaulted into a tie for second in the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Amateur on Tuesday.

Monday, PBJ posted a 1-over 71 on No. 2 -- the venue that's played host to several major championships, most recently the 2014 U.S. Open (men's and women's). His 2-under total for 3 holes trailed medalist Brandon Wu by a single stroke.

The top 64 players in the 312-player field will compete in match play beginning Wednesday on No. 2. Barbaree will face Parker Gillam of Wake Forest in the opening round.

"On No. 2, you've just got to be in control of everything, and No. 4 is just a little bit wider and the greens are just a little bit softer, but that's the main difference right there," said Barbaree, a Byrd product. "They're both really good courses. I like No. 4 and No. 2 a lot. I played No. 4 when I played in the U.S. Kids' tournament when I was 12. So it's good to come back and play two world-class courses."

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Source: Shreveport Times