Rohanna survives another week on ‘Big Break’
Robert Rohanna started the fourth show of “Big Break The Palm Beaches FL” Monday night with a flop and ended with a close-enough putt to advance to next week’s Week 5 of The Golf Channel’s reality show.
The first immunity challenge had three of the remaining nine golfers choose sides. The first challenge was the “flop wall,” a wall about 10 feet high separating three hitting areas from a green. The winning team received immunity.
Rohanna was the first selection of Chad Pfeifer, the war veteran, but the last to go.
“I felt confident with Chad. He’s hit good chip shots. He has a good short game,” said Rohanna.
“I was probably eight feet away and the wall is about 10 feet tall. You’re standing there and see the Big Break symbol in the middle of the board,” explained Rohanna. “We were allowed to pace (the green) off, but you couldn’t see anything. You assumed (the pin) was in the middle.
“When it came off the club, it felt good.”
Rohanna carries a 60-degree wedge in his bag and it paid off when he landed his first flop shot just six inches from the pin, avoiding a sweep by Brandon Hartzell’s squad since Justin Martinson and Clay Myers won the first two rounds.
The final round moved back about four, five feet from Rohanna’s position to the same position Myers hit from.
“I hit the same shot the second time, but they moved us back about five feet,” said Rohanna, explaining the distance of his second attempt
Rohanna’s shot landed softly, about four feet from the pin.
“I hit it really good. The green was so soft there was no bounce.”
So, while Hartzell, Myers and Martinson split up $3,000 and went on a diving excursion, which Rohanna said he would’ve passed on, the Waynesburg Central grad readied himself for the second challenge.
The second immunity challenge had golfers get closest to the hole on their second shot from 200 yards out.
“I was a little in between, so I hit a 6-iron, trying to get a little draw to get a little more distance. The wind was right-to-left,” said Rohanna.
Rohanna landed about 12 feet above the hole. Richy Werenski was the only other golfer to hit the green.
“I’m not going to lie. It was an awesome shot. It turned out to be great,” said Rohanna. “That shot is not that easy. It’s not an ‘in the wheelhouse’ kinda shot.
“The green is elevated. All you see is bunkers in front of you.”
Rohanna’s putt slipped past the pin, settling about 3½ feet away, but it was close enough to earn another week of reality golf.
“It was a tricky green. It was a bowl back to front, but not a big bowl,” said Rohanna. “It looked self-explanatory. That’s why I wasn’t over the ball too long.
“But, you do what gets you through.”
Tyler Neff selected Pfeifer for the elimination challenge, and as he has every other time, the Purple Heart recipient came through with clutch shots to avoid elimination.
“Chad has made his point clear. He is here to win,” said Rohanna, adding, “It’s a little different. Tyler was the life of the party. He lightened the mood.”
Speaking for himself, and good news for The Golf Channel, Rohanna’s noticed he’s been noticed more, of late.
“I’m getting a lot of …,” Rohanna though aloud as he searched for a description, “of TV celebrity. I don’t feel like one. People are recognizing me. I was in a bathroom the other day and someone asked if I was on Big Break.
“It’s pretty cool.”
As the show progresses, it’s becoming more difficult for Rohanna to not blurt out what happens.
“It’s definitely tough. I’m playing along with people, with a wink,” said Rohanna, “But, it’s tough not to say ‘Wait until next week or you’ll want to watch what happens.'”
Rohanna is still nursing the stress fracture in his left thumb, waiting until it is sufficiently healed to get back to hitting a golf ball.
“There’s no time table. I need to feel good. Then, I can practice for a week and play,” said Rohanna. “I’m pretty bummed out.
“I can swing just fine. When I hit a ball, the pressure from my right hand on top and the club on the bottom, hurts. It hurts to follow through.”