James Hahn talks to the media after his 12-under par 60.
When I arrived at Champions at Keene Trace Golf Club for the third round of the Barbasol Championship Saturday my shuttle driver told me to keep an eye on James Hahn.
“His mother is here and told me he was going to have a great day,” the driver said.
Did he ever? Hahn had eight birdies and two eagles in a 12-under par round of 60 to go from 5-under in the tourney to 17-under going into today’s final round.
But the story gets even better. Hahn’s caddie this week is 2017 Lafayette High School graduate and Morehead State golfer Joe Muschong, a Keene Trace member who had never really caddied professionally until two weeks ago the Junior Barbasol.
“I was a little bit nervous. Then he just started doing his thing today and I just had to keep up,” Muschong said.
Hahn’s regular caddie left him a few weeks ago and the PGA Tour regular called the golf shop to let them know he needed a caddy. Muschong got the job.
“He’s helped me out a lot this week and kept me cool throughout the round. Very talkative, which is nice because it kind of relaxes me a little bit and I don’t have to do a lot of talking,” Hahn said. “But to experience that with him, him being a local guy and playing out here all the time, I feel like is very special for both of us.”
“He’s a young kid. We get along well. He’s a player, and so we just kind of hit it off my first day and he’s been doing everything really well.”
Muschong said Hahn putted “really well” and got in a zone early in the round.
“I’ve played it (the course) well, but man, I haven’t seen it that low. That was pretty impressive,” Muschong said. “He did a hell of a job today.”
Muschong, third in the recent OVC Championship, has one year of college eligibility remaining and says this experience will be invaluable.
“You learn so much being out here and stuff like that. It’s priceless right now,” Muschong said.
It would have been even more amazing if Hahn had finished with that magical 59. The caddie said Hahn knew his final putt on 18 was for a 59.
“He knew what that putt was for on 18. It was impressive to have a 30-footer made on top of him, then to get the next putt to the hole and it still scared it. He knew and he gave it a hell of a run,” Muschong said.
The 12-under 60 was still PGA Tour career-low for Hahn — but he wanted the 59.
“I mean, that’s a unicorn, right? That’s the one that everyone’s trying to chase. 60, the scorecard’s not probably going up on the wall, right? 59, you know, you can tattoo that on my forehead and it would be pretty cool, so it is magical. To come up one short stings a little bit, but I played a good round today,” Hahn said.
He trails leader J.T. Boston, who had an impressive 66 to get to 19 under, going into today’s final round.
So how does he follow a career-best 60 in today’s final round?
“I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in this situation. I’ve shot 62 I believe in final rounds, didn’t really have to worry about the next round,” he said. “You just go and how it shakes out tonight, watch some cartoons and do it all over again tomorrow.”
