Each time more than one of the four Barbin brothers compete in a golf tournament, they flip a coin before the opening round.
The coin toss is to determine who their father, Andy Barbin, an experienced golfer and current owner of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, caddies for on the golf course.
“We get that question a lot,” Austin Barbin joked. “It’s always like whoever wins the coin flip this time.”
The second-youngest of the Barbin boys, Austin cannot exactly pinpoint when he got into golf. He knows it’s been a major part of his life and his dad has remained by his side coaching all of his siblings.
“If I feel I need help on my swing or help on my game,” Austin said. “I know who I am calling.”
Evan Barbin, the youngest of the four, said he always aimed to play in the U.S. Amateur, one of the biggest amateur golf championships in the world. That would not have happened without the introduction of the sport from his father at no older than four years old.
“Without my dad, I would not have been playing the game,” Evan said. “He is the reason for everything and he is the reason for why I love the game and my brothers love the game and why we devote all our time and energy into this game.”
Austin and Evan are set to compete at the 124th U.S. Amateur in Minnesota this upcoming week. The two qualified for the championship with wins at amateur events earlier this summer. In June, Austin captured titles at the Maryland Amateur and Philadelphia Amateur, while Evan won the Delaware Amateur.
All three events granted the winner of the tournament an automatic berth into the U.S. Amateur. Golfers can also reach the U.S. Amateur through qualifying rounds: a process Evan described as less than desirable due to the multiple weeks of high-stakes golf.
“To have the top part of your game for three weeks straight is not very easy,” Evan said. “Especially in the summer.”
The tournament, which tees-off Aug. 12, begins with stroke play and whittles the competition down to the final 64 golfers. From there, the tournament turns to match play with head-to-head rounds that narrow the field down to the final two competitors. With the success his two boys had earlier this summer, Andy Barbin feels they have the experience and ability to go deep into the championship.
“They are ready to go,” Andy Barbin said. “If you get the right course at the right time, anything can happen.”
Both brothers played in the Philadelphia and Maryland Amateurs and are no strangers to competing against one another. Even away from their regular tournaments in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland, there can be some back-and-forth as they practice on their father’s course in Rising Sun.
Evan, Austin and their two older brothers, Andrew Jr. and Zach, play together almost any day they can. The two older siblings compete regularly in the PGA’s Philadelphia Section.
“If we are having trouble in some aspects of the game, we definitely like to help each other out,” Evan said. “There can be some fiery competitiveness, some bickering, but at the end of the day it’s all fun.”
When Austin is not teeing-off or planning his approach, he will be keeping an eye on the results and how his brother is playing.
“I’ll be rooting for him, he’ll be rooting for me,” Austin said. “It’s honestly going to be a really fun week.”
Monday’s start of the seven-day tournament marks Austin’s second appearance in the championship. He first competed at the U.S. Amateur back in 2019. A high school graduate of Delaware’s Red Lion Christian Academy and more recent grad of Liberty University, Austin’s amateur career is filled with plenty of successes from back-to-back Delaware Boys’ State Championships to numerous tournament wins.
Austin felt his victories increased his confidence over time. The wins taught him how to play at an elite level.
“I think once you kind of go over that leap of winning,” Austin said. “It’s always going to stick in your head that you can always do it.”
After college, Austin initially planned on going pro, before his father encouraged him to stick around at the amateur level for the Philly and Maryland tournaments. If either Barbin brother were to finish in the top two of the upcoming amateur, they would receive an automatic invitation to The Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. Austin said if he does not reach the finals, he plans on turning professional after he returns from Minnesota.
That transition could come with a number of new challenges, from growing his sponsorship base to the simple idea of having to put food on the table for himself and his family.
“It’s definitely a different mentality,” Austin said of the professional game. “But I also think it’s a good mentality and I think I’m ready for it.”
For Evan, it is his first U.S. Amateur and second USGA event. He competed in the USGA’s 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur at Pinehurst. Entering his junior season at Liberty, Evan views this summer as great preparation for his upcoming college season. He also understands how a run in the tournament could set him up for the future.
“It could be life-changing, depending on how I play,” Evan said. “But Just being there in and of itself, it’s going to be a great experience for me.”
While the Barbin’s father usually has to go wherever the coin tells him, he is hopeful he will get to caddy for both of his boys in at least one round.
The pair’s tee-times are separated by six hours.
“It’s any father’s dream to watch their sons work so hard and perform at the highest level,” Andy Barbin said. “If I can do it, I will definitely be out there with them both.”
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