Robby Shelton ties for third at PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship
Robby Shelton
AUBURN, Ala. — Alabama Crimson Tide junior
Robby Shelton, a
native of Wilmer, Ala., received a sponsor's
exemption to play in
this week's Barbasol Championship — the
current PGA Tour stop
coinciding with The Open Championship.
Shelton posted rounds of 68 and 69 during the
first two rounds to
enter the weekend tied for 20th place. This isn't
Shelton's first Tour
experience, though the Palmer Cup participant is
still quite new to it.
Having qualified for last year's U.S. Open, the
Barbasol
Championship at Grand National on the Robert
Trent Jones Trail is
his second PGA Tour appearance.
Shelton then entered the final round just three
shots back in a tie for
8th place after a 66 on Saturday, in which he
bogeyed his final hole
of the day.
And after his fourth consecutive round in the
60s, this time a 67, Shelton
jumped even further up the leaderboard into an
eventual third place finish,
which he shared with Whee Kim of Korea and
tour
veteran Ricky Barnes.
Shelton got it going early on the front nine after
a rain delay, including
knocking his approach shot on the par-4 third
hole (see video below) to within
tap-in range for his second birdie in his first
three holes.
Shelton secured a big win during the spring for
his Crimson Tide,
claiming the Southern Highlands Collegiate
Masters by six shots over
Arizona State standout Jon Rahm. The event was
likely the strongest
collegiate field of the season, aside from the
NCAA National
Championship.
Shelton was one of three amateurs in the field
beginning on
Thursday as Stanford superstar Maverick
McNealy and Auburn
sophomore Ben Schlottman received invites, as
well. McNealy made
the cut on the number while Schlottman posted
75-69 and missed by
two.
McNealy rebounded with 67 in the final round
after an 82 on Saturday dropped
him to the bottom of the leaderboard.