Spartanburg’s Brad Sill shot a 6-over par 77 in the first round of the Barbasol Championship. (File Photo)

A pair of golfers with South Carolina roots took a step up this week as part of the field at the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship in Alabama.

The difference being a regular on Tour and getting a chance to play in a Tour event was evident in the first round results for Brad Sill and Trace Crowe.

Sill, from Spartanburg, earned a spot in the field by winning a five-way playoff for the last qualifying spot earlier this week.

Auburn golfer Trace Crowe from Easley could not compete his round because of darkness. (File Photo)

Crowe, who grew up in Easley and is on the Auburn golf team, was playing in the tournament as an amateur.

Sill shot a 6-over par round of 77 while Crowe was at 9-over par when his first round was suspended by darkness.

The former USC Upstate golfer made three birdies in the round, but a quad on the par 4, 11th hole and five bogeys have him well off the expected cut line.

Crowe wasn’t able to card a birdie, but a double and a triple hurt his chances of playing on the weekend.

While the best golfers in the world are at the British Open there are enough excellent players to make winning or even making the cut in Alabama difficult too.

Three golfers are tied for the lead at 6-under par.

Clemson grad Jonathan Byrd is tied for ninth after the first round in Alabama. (File Photo)

A pair of former Clemson golfers are tied for ninth after the first round.

Jonathan Byrd who had a top-five finish at the John Deere Classic last week shot a 4-under par 67.

Sam Saunders is the other former Clemson golfer tied at ninth, but Saunders has three holes to play in the morning before starting the second round.