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Injured thumb affects Rohanna in third round

By Jim Downey, For The Greene County Messenger 3 min read

A set of opposable thumbs have allowed humans to accomplish many great things (and a few not-so-great or embarrassing things, as well) through the centuries.

Robert Rohanna learned just how important his left thumb was to his golf swing Saturday when the Waynesburg Central graduate truly suffered through the third round of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament for a 5-over 76.

Rohanna lost the ground he made up with a 1-under Friday on the same Champion course played in the third round Saturday. He has a three-round total of 11-over 225 and slipped down nine slots to a tie for 139th.

The score for the low 75 (and ties) stands at even-par after three rounds.

Rohanna believes he sprained his left thumb at some point, which affected his grip on the backswing.

“I couldn’t set my wrist on every long club. It hurt a little (Friday), but I didn’t think about it. On my first full swing, it felt like my left thumb was going to fall off,” said Rohanna. “It hurt when I’d swing up to the top and load the weight of the club.

“I never realized how much I use my left thumb. I never think of my left thumb doing anything in golf.”

Rohanna opened on No. 10 and felt the effects right away with a double bogey-7.

“No. 10 is not a hard hole. I hit a bad drive and laid up. I hit at the pin. It hit okay, but dribbled to the lip of the bunker and stayed there in the worst spot in the bunker,” explained Rohanna.

Considering his physical limitation, Rohanna fared pretty good with three bogeys, two double bogeys and two birdies.

His other double bogey came on No. 6 on the front nine (his 15th hole) when his drive kicked left into the water.

“I made some really good pars,” said Rohanna.

He opened on the back nine with a 3-over 39 and came back on the front with a 2-over 37.

“If every shot was a cut, I’d been okay. I’d slap a pull. I had no idea where it was going. I had a two-way miss going,” said Rohanna. “It’s a guessing game.”

Rohanna plans to keep playing with the fourth round moving to the Fazio course with a 9:28 a.m. tee time today. He’s dealt with injuries before, notably to his back, but none like this.

“I have it in ice now. There’s nothing I can really do for it,” said Rohanna, who taped his hand for the third round. “I wish it would’ve happened the first day (a 7-over 79), then that would give me an explanation.

“I’m going to suck it up and try it. My score doesn’t set me up that great (with three rounds remaining). I’m going to try to keep in the fairway. Halfway shots don’t hurt so much.”

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