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Rohanna one of the new members of LPGA Tour

By Jim Downey, For The Greene County Messenger 9 min read
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Photo courtesy of the LPGA

Brianna Do maneuvers a selfie stick to take a photo of the 10 newest members of the 2016 LPGA Tour after they took a jump in the pool to celebrate receiving their tour cards with the completion of the Symetra Tour Championship on Oct. 18. The new LPGA Tour members include (front row, from left) Alexandra Llaneza, Lee Lopez, Do, Casey Grice, (back row, from left) Giulia Molinaro, Daniela Iacobelli, Vicky Hurst, Dani Holmqvist, Rachel Rohanna and Annie Park.

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Rachel Rohanna (Submitted photo)

Waynesburg’s Rachel Rohanna is one of the newest members of the 2016 LPGA Tour.

Rohanna finished 10th on the Symetra Tour money list with earnings of $53,867, just ahead of Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu, to earn full-time status on the LPGA Tour.

Rohanna has a quiet confidence about her and her golf game, but the season wasn’t one smooth ride, with a valley late in the season after winning her first professional tournament (Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay in April) and six top-10 finishes.

“At Boston (the W.B. Mason Championship) in mid-August, I missed the cut. I knew I wasn’t hitting the ball well,” explained Rohanna of the valley. “I had a good chance. Only half the girls were in the field, but I didn’t feel comfortable with any club in my hand.”

Rohanna traveled back east to the tournament on the heels of a top-25 finish in Wisconsin (PHC Classic), but her swing wasn’t clicking. So, she sought out the guidance of the one and only swing coach she’s ever had as the tour headed back to the midwest.

“I was not striking the ball very well. My granddad, Dick Schwartz, is my swing coach. I went to Ohio to hit balls,” said Rohanna.

Rohanna’s father Tom did much of the caddying for her this season, but she realized her grandfather would be a better candidate to help her get comfortable with her swing again.

“It’s tough with your dad as coach, especially with a daughter. He was walking on egg shells,” said Rohanna, a 2009 Waynesburg Central and December 2012 Ohio State graduate.

But, she had no such problems with her mother’s dad.

“Whatever my granddad says, I do,” said Rohanna. “There was nothing extreme, no major swing changes. He says one word and I know what he means.

“For me, I need to know where my club head needs to be. He keeps it simple for me.”

The practice paid dividends.

“I felt 100 times better. I was on the right track,” added Rohanna.

With a couple weeks between Symetra Tour events, Rohanna put on a lot of miles to play in an LPGA event in Prattville, Ala., Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. Rohanna missed the cut after shooting 4-over 148, but was pleased nonetheless.

“I shot 71, 1-under, in the first round. That was my first under-par round in over a month,” said Rohanna. “I attribute (her over-par finish) to putting on the greens. They were the fastest greens we played all season.”

Her game came together in the next Symetra Tour event when she finished tied for fourth and won $9,894, but said it could’ve been even better.

“I hit one poor shot the entire week. It was misfortunate. It wasn’t even a bad shot,” said Rohanna.

As the Symetra Tour turned to the final five events of the season, it became apparent the “Race for the Card” was going to be a fight to the finish.

“There was more dominance in the field. The top 16 girls played leapfrog with each other,” said Rohanna. “The top 15 girls really separated themselves. There were 15 girls that easily could’ve finished in the top 10 and earned their cards this year.”

Rohanna entered the final month with confidence, telling herself, “This is my best year, yet. It’s about time I played like this. I played very smart. It was me talking myself out of a shot. I felt I made so many more putts this year.”

“At the beginning of the year, I stayed patient and calm. I couldn’t believe it,” Rohanna said of her demeanor change from her past “fiery” approach.

As tour organizers could only hope, the race came down to the final tournament, the Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“I went into that last week and knew exactly where I stood,” said Rohanna. “I was in the 10th spot with a $750 lead. If you would’ve told me that at the beginning of the season, I’d been ecstatic.”

She missed the cut the previous week at the IOA Golf Classic.

“I missed the cut. I hated that course,” said Rohanna, “but, I was going to my favorite course (LPGA International) on the schedule.

“I felt I had the best chance of anyone in that tournament. I could win it. I just needed to do my thing and relax.”

Rohanna shot 70-71 in the first two rounds to make the cut at 3-under. She shot a 69 to improve her score to 6-under heading into the final round.

“The forecast for the last day was rain and 40 mph winds. Perfect, it set up perfect for me,” said Rohanna.

She faltered a bit in the final round, facing a 3½-foot putt on No. 18 to a 1-over closing-round score after a tricky wedge into the green.

“My ball landed in grass between bunkers. My college coach used to describe lies 101, 102, 103 and 104. Mine was between a 102 and 103,” explained Rohanna. “(The pitch) worked really well.”

As for the putt, Rohanna said, “My dad didn’t say a word to me. I stood over it, ‘Just please make this putt.’ I hit it dead center.”

She finished tied for 24th after starting the final round in a tie for 13th. Rohanna won $1,553.

Then Rohanna did something she probably hasn’t done in awhile, scoreboard watching.

“It seemed forever. My dad had to get ready and catch a flight, so I asked one of the PR guys if he could tell me. I had to know. He asked one of the women, ‘Can we tell Rachel?,'” explained Rohanna. “At first they told me I made it by $16. Then, they said the (final difference) was $284.”

The 11th-place finisher was Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu. She finished tied for 14th and won $1,989. Rohanna’s chances were bolstered when Augusta James, in ninth place on the money list, missed the cut.

Rohanna said she wasn’t the first to know, but a member of her gallery knew.

“(Mapletown graduate) Cory Dillinger lives in Florida and came to watch me play. He saw them talking to Haruka and put their arms around her,” said Rohanna, adding his comment, “Yep, you’re good.”

“We figured out if I was a shot worse, it wouldn’t have mattered,” said Rohanna.

Now Rohanna prepares for the job she’s dreamed of having since she was first told by her grandfather to “grip it and rip it” as a child.

The LPGA Tour has 35 events, beginning with the Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic on Jan. 25-31, 2016. Rohanna played in the event last year.

“There is a $200 entry fee and you have 10 days before the tournament to officially withdraw,” said Rohanna.

Rohanna was basically a “cottage industry” through her three-year Symetra Tour career, and will remain so as she embarks on her career on the LPGA Tour.

“We’re still a family-oriented business. You have to be careful who you hire,” said Rohanna. “If I don’t have to change anything, why should I?

“I’m trying to keep things as simple as possible.”

That means her mother Debbie will remain as her de facto manager.

“My mother’s great. My poor mom. She’s so busy. I’m a full-time job. If I get an agent, he gets 10 percent,” said Rohanna.

With her father needing to get back to work, Rohanna will turn to her younger sister Emily, scheduled to graduate this spring from Youngstown State, to handle her caddying duties.

“Caddies on the LPGA Tour get a base rate from $800-1,200 a week and a tiered percentage of winnings. They’re responsible for their lodging and travel in the continental United States,” said Rohanna, who has a bit of a head start on her caddy’s travel. “I have enough points with Southwest I have a companion pass.”

Rohanna estimated the cost of being a women’s professional golfer ranges from a low of $80,000 to upwards of $100,000 or more. But, there are ways to trim expenses.

“There are host families (that provide lodging). I make friends with people. I did in Hawaii. I’ll do that as much as possible,” said Rohanna. “Tournaments usually have breakfast and lunch.”

Rohanna said she’ll be hustling, attempting to seek out sponsors. Nemacolin Woodlands and 84 Lumber have been very helpful through her Symetra Tour, especially providing a home base to practice and play when she’s home in Greene County.

“I have networking I’ve done. I need to start on that. You want to market yourself in the right way,” said Rohanna. “I’ve been talking with Ethan (her husband Ethan Virgili) about working with Feeding America. Maybe donate x-amount of meat to local food pantries.”

And, of course, there’s actually the business of playing golf.

“The courses set up a little more difficult and they’re in the best shape all the time. The purses are a lot bigger, from $200,000 (on the Symetra Tour) to $2,000,000,” said Rohanna. “I stepped up and worked a little bit harder this year. I concentrated on what I needed to do. I need to stay healthy and visit the PT (physical therapist).

“I plan on doing as many events as possible. I’ll listen to my body, as well. Playing in 11 straight events is not possible.”

She has already figured playing the events in Toledo (Marathon Classic), Plattfield, Ala., King’s Mill, Va. (Kingsmill Championship), Hawaii (Lotte Championship), and Ocala, Fla. (Coates Golf Championship) because she has played the courses before. Rohanna is also looking forward to taking the trip to Australia in mid-February, if possible.

Then, she will again attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open and is considering doing the same for the British Open.

Rohanna will begin preparation at the turn of the new year with a week or so in St. Petersburg, Fla., and then some work in Arizona.

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