After almost a decade of trying, Austin Barbin is now a Maryland Amateur champion.

And his dad was with him the whole way.

"It was awesome," Barbin told the Maryland State Golf Association. "When the final putt dropped, he got a little choked and teary-eyed. We are a great team, and we have been through a lot together and to have him on the bag just means so much more."

Barbin won the 2024 Maryland Amateur Championship at Manor Country Club in Rockville, Md.

"This has been a fun week," Barbin said. "It has been pretty surreal. I came off a pretty hard college career and struggled in my last few years in school, and I came in this week with fairly low expectations." 

Barbin added, "At the same time, I had one goal in mind, and I have played in this tournament probably ten times."

Barbin defeated Jake Roth 7&6 in the 36-hole final, easily sealing the deal at Manor Country Club.

It started in stroke play," Barbin said. "I found a groove there and found the strengths in my game, and stuck to it. It has been an awesome week."

He finished in solo third place in the stroke play portion, shooting 3-under and missing out on medalist honors by one shot. Grant Lester and Connor McGarrity finished as co-medalists at 4-under.

Barbin then went onto the match play portion, where he cruised, defeating Travis Russell 6&4 in the round of 32 and Ryan McCarthy 7&5 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he took on Benton Weinberg and won a tough match 1-up, and defeated Kevin Grady 5&3 in the semifinals. He then defeated Roth to secure the championship.

With the win, Barbin will head to the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in August.

"That is going to need to sink in a little bit," Barbin said. "I played it at the U.S. Amateur once and always wanted to go back, so I am stoked. It hasn't sunk in yet."