CC Winn senior and 2018 State Qualifier Diego Ibarra had to chase the eventual district champion down on Day 2 of the District 28- AAAAA Golf Championships, outshooting Floresville’s Brandon Lopez by seven strokes and was one putt away from forcing a playoff on Saturday at the Pleasanton Country Club. Ibarra struggled on Day 1 and had to do something special on Day 2 if he wanted to repeat as District Champion and he started off by matching Lopez shot for shot on the first six holes before the Floresville underclassman triple-bogeyed the Par 7 7th and double-bogeyed the Par 5 9th. One thing to note was that Ibarra outdrove his competition all day long which increased his probabilities of Birdie attempts. “I left a lot of Birdies out there, that’s for sure,” said Ibarra on his five+ Birdie misses, at least three of them excruciatingly lipping out.

Ibarra outshot Lopez on the Par4 10th, a 390 yard picturesque hole adorned by a pond and guarded by the Texas Hill Country on the left, parring the hole to Lopez’ bogey. The same was the case on the Par 3 11th where Ibarra had a magnificent up and down placing his second shot, a chip shot from the fringe, a mere 2 feet from the hole to earn his par. Lopez struggled here as well and it seemed like Winn’s #1 would be able to accomplish the impossible on this day, but Lopez would have the shot of his day putting the ball six feet from the hole at the 534 yard Par 5 12th for Eagle, buthis Eagle putt did not break and both he and Ibarra Birdied the hole.

The duo, who were playing with Medina Valley’s Alexander Roth, were shotfor- shot for the next three holes parring the 173 yard Par 3 15th, the 373 yard Par 4 16th and the 394 yard Par 4 17th with Lopez three shots ahead with four holes to go, but Lopez would go out of bounds with his tee shot on the scenic 391 yard Par 4 18th which has a sharp dog leg left and Ibarra’s drive was

true an amazing 300 yard tee shot right in the middle of the fairway which left him 91 yards to the pin. He would hit his second shot and have a nine foot downhill putt for Birdie to send the District Championship to a playoff hole as Lopez proceeded to Double Bogey 7, but it was not meant to be.

Ibarra shot 82 on Day 1 and a 75 on Day 2 to Lopez’ 74 on Day 1 and an 82 on Day 2. Roth shot Day 2 83. “On Friday I missed a lot of important putts,” said the Regional Qualifier, “Then Saturday I dialed in more with my putter. I went back to my Teryllium (putter) and it felt good. My short game was a lot better than on the first day.” Nevertheless, Ibarra ends his career at CC Winn as a four-time 1st Team All- District Regional Qualifier with the big Region IV Tournament to be held at McAllen’s Palmview Country Club on April 24th

and 18th. “I’m going to work really hard to win the Regional Tournament,” he concluded. When asked about Palmview, Ibarra had the following to add, “It’s a nice course, I like it, but it’s me against the course. I expect it be windy and I’ll have to hit the right irons I need to to be successful.”