Men's Golf News

Dilibero Cards Ace at Royal Lakes

Monday, October 20th
Chestnut Mountain, Georgia

Lost amid the hoopla of the Tuesday come from behind win at Royal Lakes was the first 'hole in one' in tournament play in school history. Junior David Dilibero, Gainesville, Florida, came to the 16th hole having already experienced his most unusual round of his career.Little did he know itwas going from just unusual to memorable on the nextswing.

"David has always been one of our steadiest players with very few erratic up and down rounds. He is always at the top of the nation in pars made per round and usually leads our team in that categoryweek in andweek out," comments Head Coach Jim Owen. "His teammates and I sort of always 'know' his style of play and we can count on him to stack up par after par and mix in a few birdies and a bogey or two. Nothing like his day was on Monday," continued Owen.

He began this atypical day with a bogey on the first hole and proceeded to double bogey the second hole to go to three over after the first two holes of his home tournament! David then birdied the very difficult Par 4- 470 yard third hole and made par on the tough Par 3- fourth hole. Two over through four holes and the ship seemed to be steadying. David then began a streak of four birdies in a row. On holes #5 through #8 he made four consecutive birdie putts and after a great up and down par save on number nine was now at two under 33 on the par 35 front side. From three over par after two..... to two under par after nine!!

His back side began with back to back bogeys on #10 and #11to take him back to even for the day. The rollercoaster round continued with a birdie on #12 and anotherquick bogey on thirteen to get back to even yet again. A par on #14 followed by a bogey on fifteen brought him to the sixteenth tee box one over par. Sixteen is a downhill 150 yard par three.It sitshigh up on a hill and a creekcrosses right in frontof this shallow green. The hole was cut only nine paces on the green and nine more yards from the right edge of the green. David chose a pitching wedge. "I thoughtthe wedgewould land on the front thirdof the green and stay below the hole and give me an aggressive birdie opportunity on the hole, comments David. I was more concerned with not being behind the cup or to the side of the hole where the putts are much more defensive and break a lot," added David.

Dilibero recounts, "When I hit the shot I heard in the background Huntingdon College assistant coach say 'great swing'. The ball traveled right at the flag and hit six inches in front of the cup and rolled into the flagstick and hung on the edge for a second or two and disappeared into the cup. I threw the cluband myhatup in the air and pointed back to the 15th green at teammate Matt Rebitch. He knew immediately by my reaction I had made an ace!"

David is the only member of the Oglethorpe hole in one club in tournament play. He will now be added to the GOLFSTAT hole in one club. You can see that list at Golftat click on 'Men' Hole in One on the scroll bar. "I had made a hole in one just a few weeks ago on the Par 3 course at River Pines Golf Club and the guys (teammates) were giving me grief because it was only115yards," adds Dilibero. I was pretty excited about that one but this one was incredible." The 'ace' took his score back to one under par as the rollercoaster was nearing the end of the ride. "On #17 I piped a drive right down the middle as I was still riding the emotional high. I had to wait onboth playing partnersto hit their approach shots to the green and when it was my turn I hit asoft 9iron from143yards one footfrom the hole. Another birdie now two under for the round!! An uneventful par on 18 brought one of the great heart stopping rounds in Oglethorpe history to a close at two under 69 and tied for second overall in the Royal Lakes/Oglethorpe Invitational. "I did not think I would be tied for second after day one much less even in the top 25 after my bogey-double start, commented David, but then I had the bizarre birdie streak on the front at that point I figured anything could happen today."

David carded only four pars, he had a career best seven birdies, the eagle, plus five bogeys and the double bogey on the most amazing round of golf he has played.