Rachel Rohanna misses US Women’s Am cut by one stroke
The 36th hole of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship Tuesday afternoon typified the two-day experience endured by Rachel Rohanna.
Coming off a birdie on her 17th hole of the day at Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington, R.I., Rohanna decided to go with driver off the tee. She opted to go with an extra club and choke down on her approach shot, and missed the green. Then, Rohanna nearly holed out on flop shot, only to have the ball bounce out of the cup and land about 20 feet away. Rohanna two-putted, missing a playoff for the 64th and final berth into match play.
“I did things I would never normally do, but I usually recovered,” said Rohanna. “I had another penalty shot (in her second round). I missed 4-footers. I would hit a wedge into a green, and end up three-putting.
“It started to get to me.”
Rohanna started the second round on No. 10, and went par-par before three consecutive bogeys. She recovered, though, with a birdie and three pars to go out in 2-over 37.
She kept the momentum alive with a par and birdie, but gave the stroke back with a bogey on No. 3, a 349-yard par-4. Rohanna bogeyed No. 5, her 14th hole, but kept in position with a par on the next hole.
Rohanna knew she was in the thick of the cut after she birdied No. 8, a 481-yard par-5.
“After I made birdie on my 17th hole, and my mom started to cheer. I knew she was looking at the leaderboard,” said Rohanna. “I knew I had to par the last hole, and a birdie was even better.”
Rohanna shot a 4-over 75 and was tied for 70th in the first round Monday. She had three birdies, five bogeys and one double bogey, and played the par-3s 1-over, the par-4s 2-over, and the par-5s 1 over.
“I was up-and-down. I would go good, bad, good,” Rohanna said after Monday’s round. “I was flying the greens the whole entire day. It started on the first hole.
“I just hit poor shots.”
Rohanna felt she was stuck in a “Groundhog Day” loop, replaying the same round of golf over and over. The Ohio State University junior was not able to advance from a playoff at the U.S. Women’s Public Links Championship, and played poorly in her final nine holes to miss the U.S. Women’s Open cut by four strokes.
“It seems I’m playing the same tournament over and over. Things aren’t piecing together like last year. It’s frustrating. I don’t like using the term, but I’m wondering when am I getting out of this slump,” explained Rohanna. “I really stayed in it, at an even keel.
“I played the birdie opportunities poorly, and played the tough holes well. I’m trying to press too much. I’m telling myself this is the best you’ve ever been. Everything has improved.
“It just takes the one shot or one round.”
Rohanna has a couple weeks off before heading back to school in the first week of September.