Barrow Still Has Something on the Ball

Barbara Barrow graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from San Diego State in 1977 for good reason.

She is very wise when it comes to drawing conclusions, even ones concerning her own professional golf career.

“After a few years of playing poorly, my money was running out,” she said Thursday. “I turned 30 last Sunday. That was when I was going to make my decision on whether to stay in golf. After today, I think I’ll stay for a few more tourneys.”

Barrow shot a one-under-par 71 Thursday, placing one stroke behind co-leaders Pat Bradley and Beth Daniel in the LPGA Kyocera Inamori tournament at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

She was among the final golfers playing the course, and her day concluded with a trip to the media interview room.

“This is a new experience for me,” she said. “It’s been about 2 1/2 years since I’ve been in the press room. Being from San Diego, I wanted to do well in front of my family and friends.”

Since 1982, Barrow wouldn’t have minded playing well in front of anybody . She won just $4,087 in 1983 and $3,398 in 1984, well below the poverty level.

No wonder she contemplated quitting.

But from past experience, Barrow figured she had the ability to play well. She was San Diego’s Junior Golfer of the Year in 1972 and won the NCAA championship at San Diego State in 1975.

And she even had her moment on the LPGA tour, winning the 1980 Birmingham tournament. However, that Barbara Barrow has not been heard from in a while.

Barrow has survived the cut in just one of six tournaments this year. Even then, she said she played “real well until that 81 the last day.”

The problem was, those 81s have been much more prevalent among her scores than the 71 she shot Thursday.

“I’ve started playing well the last month,” she said. “My scores just don’t indicate it. The physical aspect of my game has improved. I need to work on the mental part of getting my confidence back.”

Barrow’s confidence grew early Thursday. She was four-under par after 12 holes, two strokes ahead of everybody in the clubhouse.

But the last five holes were not so kind. She bogeyed the 13th, 16th and 17th holes, giving away the lead she once had.

“On this course, I’ll take a one-under,” she said. “On some other course, I might have said that I should’ve had the four-under.”

Barrow, who often plays Fairbanks Ranch, had reason for being satisfied with the 71. Before Thursday, her best-ever score on the course had been 74.

“And we won’t talk about my worst score,” she said.

Even her previous best at Fairbanks Ranch would not have put her on the leader board.

“It gave my parents and friends a thrill to see me on the leader board,” Barrow said. “At the beginning, it was fun. At the end, there’s more pressure to stay up on the leader board.”

There is going to be plenty of pressure on Barrow the next three days. Her career may be riding on how well she handles it.