Gregori’s Ebster rolls to top of district leaderboard in high school golf

Chris Ebster generates a small hurricane of club head speed as he pounds his driver off the tee.

The Gregori High School junior booms it 280 to 300 yards and can turn nearly any robust par 4 into a drive and pitch. He plays the quintessential power game perfected by Tiger Woods and other golf heroes of his childhood.

What brought Ebster forward over the past year, however, required a more balanced game. That meant progress both physically and where all tournaments are decided – mentally.

“A year ago, if I was 2 over par and made a bogey, I would start pressing,” he recalled. “Now, if I’m 2 over and make a bogey, I think, ‘Plenty of golf to go.’ ”

Patience and composure, the double-edged test for any teenaged golfer, became additional clubs in Ebster’s bag. The result was a climb to the top of the Stanislaus District leaderboard.

Ebster is The Modesto Bee’s clear-cut choice as 2016 Player of the Year.

Ebster didn’t exactly emerge from nowhere this spring. He’s been a force since his freshman year at Central Catholic, where he played a major role in the Raiders’ historic run to the CIF State championship.

In fact, Ebster has advanced all three years to the state tournament, reserved for only the top six teams and a limited number of individual qualifiers.

That said, his game and his swing sharpened during his junior season. His potent move through the ball, aggressive and sometimes violent as an underclassman, was refined. A few moving parts were discarded, leaving him with something he could repeat more often.

Ebster also opted for 3-woods or irons off the tee for better position. And when tee shots strayed, he could recover.

He shot a 3-under 69 at Dryden Park to pace the field at the Modesto Metro Conference championship, thanks in part to a nifty escape at the par-4 16th. He rolled a 5-iron shot beneath tall trees and between two bunkers to within kick-in distance, and a 5 or worse turned into a birdie 3.

That round ignited an impressive postseason run. Ebster, steady and strong, shot a 1-under 71 at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters and advanced to the CIF NorCal Regional, where he improved with a 3-under 69 and a tie for second at Salinas’ Corral de Tierra. He was state-bound again.

“This is the best I’ve played over the last three years,” he said. “I played solid until state.”

Things unraveled at state at San Gabriel Country Club, the venue he tamed with a 73 as a freshman. This time, he struggled from the start en route to an 82. That said, he accepted the result for what it was – an off-day that can victimize the best.

Ebster has leaned on top-tier guidance from his father, John, a physical therapist, and his mother, Dana, a teaching pro and former USC player and qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Open.

The exercise regimen comes from his father. The golf wisdom comes from Mom.

“She’s my coach. She knows what needs to be improved and what will get me to the next level,” Ebster said. “She’s big into the mental part.”

His transfer to Gregori has gone smoothly. He averaged .16 under par in his MMC matches this spring as the Jaguars, coached by Bradd Stewart, rolled to their second straight league title. Sitting out basketball to concentrate on golf helped.

“I really like my teammates. They make it a lot of fun,” Ebster said. “If you have a bad round, your teammates are there to pick you up.”

He already understands the stiff curve by which he’ll be graded as a senior. After all, his goals are not small.

“To win state is the ultimate goal,” he said. “I don’t want to get too high of expectations. I don’t want to expect to go to state and, when I don’t, it’s gonna be like, ‘What happened?’ If I’m playing my game, I think I will make it back to state.”

This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Gregori’s Ebster rolls to top of district leaderboard in high school golf."