ROCKY FACE, Ga. – Blayne Barber had his post-round barbecue lunch interrupted by two boys.
Barber didn’t mind a bit.
They just wanted an autograph from the guy leading the Carpet Capital Collegiate on their home course, The Farm Golf Club.
The youngsters each scampered off happy as can be with a Titleist bearing the Auburn logo and Barber’s scribbled signature.
The Auburn transfer from Central Florida shot a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday, which put him at 9-under 135 for 36 holes.
Barber leads the medalist race over Evan Beck of Wake Forest by one shot, Clemson’s Jacob Burger by two shots, and a trio – including University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore Steven Fox – by three heading into the final round.
“I’ve been playing well lately, and the last two days I’ve been able to think about one shot at a time and not get too high or too low,” said Barber, a sophomore who had to sit out last year because UCF did not give him his release. “I’ve played a lot the last year, but to have the camaraderie of a team is awesome again. It’s nice to be part of a team atmosphere.”
Alabama had strolled to the team lead Friday by shooting 8 under par, but it stumbled a bit Saturday with a 1 under that allowed Clemson to take the lead.
“After eating lunch with the guys, it was a littler harder to get the ball in the hole today because the putts weren’t falling,” Crimson Tide coach Jay Seawell said. “Maybe we can save it for tomorrow.”
Clemson has shot a 10-under 566, which is one shot better than Alabama, five better than Georgia Tech and six better than Georgia.
“We’ve had two really good rounds of golf in two days,” Clemson coach Larry Penley said, referring to David Dannelly’s 67 on Friday and Jacob Burger’s 7-under 65 Saturday. “I’m just glad we’ve put ourselves in position to win. We want to win on the last day, and that’s where we are.”
The Bulldogs have been led former Baylor School golfer Harris English, who is in a tie for seventh at 140 with high school teammate Stephan Jaeger of UTC and two others.
Jaeger and Fox have paced three freshmen, and the Mocs are tied for sixth with Auburn at 1-under 575.
“It was a good day,” UTC coach Mark Guhne said. “I saw a lot of good things like a lot of good decisions, and the freshmen weren’t as nervous today.
“Steven [Stephan]-squared did really good today.”
Defending champion Tennessee is in eighth place at 582 and is 16 shots out of first place. Robin Wingardh leads the Vols at 2 under for the tournament, including a 69 on Saturday.
“I wish we were about seven or eight shots better,” Vols coach Jim Kelson said. “We left four or five shots out there yesterday and did the same today. We’ve just played kind of mediocre. Hopefully we can play well and finish strong.”
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6484.