Philip Barbaree Jr. was on the eighth green Friday evening, but because dangerous weather suspended U.S. Open play, he could not finish the hole.

When Barbaree returned to Oakmont’s No. 8 early Saturday morning, he completed a three-putt and bogied the hole. That left him 7-over-par, right on the cutline. He had to par No. 9 to make his first cut at a PGA Tour event.

On the ninth hole, Barbaree made a 5-foot putt to make it to the weekend.

“Probably a lot of pent-up emotion and stress from sleeping last night or not sleeping last night, just knowing that I pretty much had to come out and make par on one of the hardest holes on the course, and then to actually do it, that’s what you practice for, that’s what you care about,” Barbaree said.

Immediately after the putt fell, he hugged his wife, Chloe, who has been his caddie for about a year.

“I love it. I always tell him I’m honored that he chooses me as his caddie because I know that’s a big role to fill,” she said. “But I think it just works because I’m there for moral support, whatever he needs. I’m not pushy.”

Philip Barbaree Jr. had to make this 5-footer Saturday morning to play the weekend at Oakmont. Look at what it means ��

(��: @RoyLangIII) pic.twitter.com/Lge012rF5T

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2025

Shortly after his second round concluded, he teed off as the first golfer to play in the third round, along with Oakmont head golf pro Devin Gee, who accompanied Barbaree on the course as a marker.

“Whenever I made the cut, you know, it does kind of free you up a little bit. It probably didn’t look like that by my first couple holes in this round, but, you know, it was enjoyable out there,” Barbaree said. “It was fun with Devin there. … Same strategy, but it was, yeah, a lot more fun in four hours.”

Barbaree, a 27-year-old who won the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur, struggled at the start of the third round. He made a bogey, a par and a double bogey in his first three holes. But then he composed himself and improved his play. He played his next eight holes only 1-over. His tee shot on No. 8 landed in the bunker, and he three-putted once he got on the green.

Barbaree redeemed his No. 8 performance on the par-5 12th hole. Following a 323-yard drive and a second shot that placed him just off the green, he dropped in a 36-foot chip shot for eagle and pumped his fist.

“He’s my guy today. So I want him to play great. … If I’m marking for him, I want him to shoot the lowest score possible,” Gee said. “You know, I’m his biggest fan. So I was pumped when he made it. Yeah, it was cool. Really cool. The good crowd reaction, too. It was awesome.”

Barbaree bogied the 15th and 16th holes and parred the rest to end the round 5-over and 12-over for the tournament. His childhood friend and LSU teammate, Sam Burns, led the tournament after two rounds, at 3-under par.

“Whenever I saw he was leading yesterday, and then I made a couple birdies on the back nine, I was kind of thinking to myself, this feels different,” Barbaree said. “He’s playing great, and I’ve played great so far. It does feel like a Shreveport reunion, I guess.”

Barbaree achieved his goal by making the cut at the U.S. Open, which exempts him from the first stage of Q-school. He also will make at least $41,254, the prize money for finishing last among those who made the cut.

Still, he will look to play his best in the final round Sunday.

“Just kind of more of the same. Just the game plan. Just stick to it,” he said. “Hopefully, just get a little bit more rest for tomorrow and be able to kind of get my feet back under me, but, yeah, just kind of more of the same and try to make pars out here.”

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