Gregori’s Ebster shoots 71 at Masters, advances to NorCals

Gregori High School junior Chris Ebster enjoys the links-like feel of The Reserve at Spanos Park, the wind-buffeted traditional home of the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships.

“I like how it’s wide open,” he said, “and that there’s not many trees.”

Ebster clearly feels at home at The Reserve. Consider his scores there at the Masters: 71 as a freshman, 72 as a sophomore, and on Monday, another 1-under-par 71. That’s why he’s heading to the Northern California Championships for the third straight year.

Ebster will be the Stanislaus District’s only representative next week at Corral de Tierra in Salinas. His satisfaction was tempered by his team’s failure to advance. Neither will Central Catholic – Ebster played for CC as a freshman – which pursued its own third straight trip to NorCals.

“If it was windy, I thought we might have a chance if we played our best,” Ebster said.

Instead, the Modesto Metro Conference champion Jaguars finished in eighth place with a 392 total. Central Catholic, paced by senior Matt Robinson’s 1-over 73, was sixth at 380. The Raiders, who made local history two years ago by qualifying for the state tournament, missed their goal by eight strokes.

“If you put five scores in the 70s, that’s solid. We did that,” Central Catholic coach Matt Yonker said.

The Reserve, often a wind tunnel, was protected by two-club 15-mph gusts. The greens received well-struck shots, however, and birdies were available. Jesuit’s David Laskin, bound for Arizona along with Lodi’s Brad Reeves (72), showed the way with a 6-under 66 for the medalist honor.

Ebster avoided major mistakes and carded three birdies against only two bogeys. At the par-4 17th – where he drove into the hazard for a 7 at a tournament earlier this season – he opted for a safe 3-iron off the tee and an 8-iron to within four feet for a lesson-learned birdie.

“At the beginning, I was really nervous,” he said. “I played pretty solid today. I missed a few putts I should have made.”

Only the top three teams and low four individuals, from a field of 117, extended their season. Davis of Yolo County went low with 361 for the title, followed by Lodi (371) and Jesuit (372) of Carmichael. Ebster was one of a quartet at 71 to advance.

Robinson hit 16 greens in regulation but did not notch a single birdie. Central Catholic, the D-III champion last week, also featured Nick O’Brien (75), Michael Kelley (76) and Tyler Ward (77).

Gregori senior Greg Jalli finished with a 78, an improvement over last week at the D-I South. Sophomore K.J. Dieker posted a 74, arguably his best round of the year. The Jaguars expect to be better next year.

Johansen senior Daniel Pena struggled late in his round en route to a 77. Two years ago, he lit up the Masters field with a 66, a memory he’ll take with him to the University of the Pacific.

“I wanted to finish the season good. I didn’t plan on stopping here,” Pena said.

Other scores: Connor Larkin of Ripon a 76, Preston Magina of Turlock a 76 and Ryan Garcia of Ripon Christian a 77.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Gregori’s Ebster shoots 71 at Masters, advances to NorCals."