For Catholic girls golf, the winds of change are swirling. Gone is record-setting two-time state champion Reagan Zibilski. They’ll also have a coaching change and only one senior. That senior is Lyla Louderbaugh, a third place finisher at state last year. “It’ll be sad that I don’t have all my teammates,” said Lyla. “But, you know, they’re going to move on to college and do their own thing.”
It means she’ll be the leader for this year’s Fightin’ Irish team. Lyla says she expects nine girls to try out this year. And as Catholic’s new batch of golfers look to her to set a championship example, she can always reach out to Reagan for advice. “We’re best friends, I love her,” said Lyla. “I always congratulate her no matter how she plays. She’s always like, ‘Oh I didn’t play that well,’ and I’m like, ‘No, you played great!”
And she can also go to Reagan for words of wisdom as she prepares to play at the next level. “She definitely has told me that I have options for school and she’s given me advice for stepping up as a senior and to lead the underclassmen,” said Lyla.
Lyla says she wants to make state again and she’s crossing her fingers that they have enough players to do so as a team as well. She’s hoping that her high school career wraps up the same way her typical tournament play typically does. “My best round usually comes on the last day,” said Lyla. “So I’m excited.”
And with Lyla leading the way, all that change at Catholic might yield the same results. In the recent Bass Pro Shops/Payne Stewart Championship she finished second.
