Auburn Junior Blayne Barber Named Ben Hogan Award Semifinalist

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Congrat's to Blayne second year in a row. There are some great player in this group especially the Texas guys.

Auburn junior Blayne Barber was named a Ben Hogan Award Semifinalist for the second consecutive year the Baird Private Wealth Management, in association with Colonial Country Club, The Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America announced on Wednesday.

The Ben Hogan Award, the most prestigious award in men's college golf, is presented annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period.

“Blayne being named a Ben Hogan Semifinalist for the second year in a row is quite an honor,” head coach Nick Clinard said. “He is very deserving as he's extremely committed to being the best on and off the golf course. His tireless work ethic as paid huge dividends for him and we are excited about his future.”

Barber is first among active SEC players in scoring average at 70.92, which is just .02 strokes off the school record set by Buddy Gardner in 1976. The Lake City, Fla., native has finished in the top-5 five times this season, including back-to-back second place finishes at the E-Z-GO Schenkel Invitational and the Hootie at Bulls Bay. Barber also leads the Tigers in sub-par rounds with 11 and rounds in the 60s at seven.

The list will be pared down to three finalists on Thursday, May 10. The three finalists will then attend a black-tie banquet at Colonial Country Club on Monday, May 21, where the winner will be crowned prior to the start of the PGA TOUR's Crowne Plaza Invitational.

The 2012 Ben Hogan Award Semifinalists include: Julien Brun (TCU, Fr.), Patrick Cantlay (UCLA, So.), Dylan Frittelli (Texas, Sr.), Corbin Mills (Clemson, Jr.), Cheng-Tsung Pan (Washington, Fr.), Patrick Rodgers (Stanford, Fr.), Jordan Spieth (Texas, Fr.), Justin Thomas (Alabama, Fr.) and Chris Williams (Washington, Jr.).