Roberto Diaz set up his Chitimacha Louisiana Open win on the front nine on Sunday. Diaz, a 34-year-old from Veracruz, Mexico, opened his final round at Le Triomphe Golf Club in Broussard, Louisiana, with birdies on his first two holes. From there, he eagled the par-5 seventh hole and he was well on his way.
As the day wore on, Peter Uihlein chased but never could do enough to prevent Diaz from claiming his first Korn Ferry Tour title. Uihlein’s closing 67 was one shot better than Diaz’s 68, but ultimately a bogey on No. 17 left Uihlein one shot short of the title.
Diaz finished the week at 18 under after rounds of 69-65-64-68.
“You have to stay in the moment, I started getting ahead of myself on No. 12,” Diaz noted while talking to reporters after the round.
He had a four-shot lead at that point, and admitted that his mind began to wander toward the win and what it would bring. When his chasers started pressing late in the back nine – Uihlein, for example, eagled No. 12 then birdied No. 14 to tie Diaz – it actually helped Diaz buckle down and close.
Chippin’ away!@PeterUihlein holes out for birdie to tie the lead with @BobbyDiazz thru 14. pic.twitter.com/a2dSLPjYgf
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) March 21, 2021
This is his Diaz’s first sanctioned tour win. He lost in a playoff at the 2017 Club Colombia Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. In February 2020, Diaz was runner-up at the Panama Championship.
“It’s a lot of emotions,” he said. “This is for my mom. She passed away a long time again and it’s just, amazing.
“I can’t explain how bad I wanted to win. . . . It’s a monkey off my back. I wanted this for so long and now that I have it, it’s like, it’s awesome.”