Rohanna shakes off rust at LPGA event
Rachel Rohanna left Highland Meadow Golf Club last Friday afternoon happy she was able to shave a few strokes off her first-round score and, for the most of the round, how she hit the ball in the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I.
The Waynesburg Central graduate carded a 4-over 75 in the second round for a two-day total of 12-over 154.
“I hit the ball similarly to yesterday. I didn’t make as many putts (as I wanted to),” explained Rohanna. “Today, I’m glad I posted something decent.”
Rohanna opened the second round with a bogey on No. 1. She added a couple more bogeys and six pars to go out in 3-over 34.
She had a tough start after making the turn, opening the back nine with back-to-back bogeys. But, Rohanna played sub-par golf the rest of the way on the back with two birdies and a bogey to finish the back nine in 1-over 38.
Rohanna was pleased with her play off the tee, but not so on the greens. She hit 7-of-14 fairways and 8-of-18 greens in regulation, and cut a few putts off her first round total, needing 30 to complete the round.
“I was striking the ball pretty good. I hit my driver good. I was not trusting my lines I was picking (on the green),” said Rohanna, adding with a laugh, “I chipped in for birdie. Maybe I should’ve missed the green more often.
“It was hard jumping back to greens that were really firm. I was a foot off. I was not reading (the greens) right. I had very difficult up-and-down shots when I missed the green.”
Rohanna last played in a tournament in March, far longer than she cares to allow.
“I don’t like to stay away from competitive golf too long,” said Rohanna. “I had no expectations. I’m glad I got this one in.
“My long game is there. I need to work on my short game. I like to practice and make a competition with myself, put some pressure on myself.”
Rohanna was pleased with how she handled the physical demands of playing a couple rounds of competitive golf.
“Physically, I feel good. I’m getting 4-6 hours a sleep a night and that’s not bad. But, there were times I looked at Ethan and said ‘I don’t remember hitting that shot,'” said Rohanna. “Physically, my body was ready. My mindset was not ready to go.”
Now that Rohanna has a tour event under her belt, she’ll fill out her calendar as her family life and maternity status will allow. Her maternity leave is for the 2018 calendar year.
“I’m not sure what my plans might be. I’m not planning on leaving Gemelia (her daughter). I have to play what I can drive to,” said Rohanna.
“I can play up to 10 events on one tour and six events if I play both tours. Thirty-six hole events count against my maternity leave,” explained Rohanna, who has played one event on both tours. “I’d like to play in the Symetra Tour Championship, but it’s a shortened list this year. I’m the defending champ. Hopefully, they give me a break or I get a sponsor’s exemption.
“I’ll have the same status I had last year in 2019. I can only better my status.”
Rohanna’s daughter caught a few holes of the second round.
“Ethan pushed her around for six holes,” said Rohanna.
Rohanna had a solid start to her first tournament since March, but faltered later in the first round Thursday afternoon to shoot an 8-over 79.
Rohanna, playing in her first tournament since the birth of her daughter a month ago, was in a tie for 136th place after the first round.
In-Kyung Kim, Yani Tseng, Jacqui Concolino and Katelyn Dambaugh shared the first-round lead at 5-under 66.
Rohanna opened play on No. 10 with a par-par start on the first day.
“I hit a 5-wood (on the first tee). I was a nice drive, perfect,” said Rohanna. “I got that one out of the way.”
She bogeyed three of the next five holes, but got a stroke back with a birdie-4 on No. 17. However, she gave the stroke back with a bogey on No. 18 to go out in 3-over 40.
The back nine started poorly, although Rohanna was able to rebound.
She had a double bogey-6 on No. 1 after the turn, but followed with five straight pars to remain at 5-over for the round.
“It’s tough to double from 110 yards out,” Rohanna said with a chuckle.
However, Rohanna was unable to keep the par run going, closing out the round with three straight bogeys to come back in 5-over 39.
“I played pretty solid. I hit the ball well. My putting was pretty atrocious,” said Rohanna. “I hit a couple not-so-great shots, but I played well enough to play even par.”
Rohanna hit 9-of-14 fairways and 9-of-18 greens in regulation. Offcially, she needed 34 putts to complete the first round, but had 37 by her count.
“My putting was a little bit of everything. I had 10-, 15-foot putts for birdie I was leaving short,” said Rohanna. “I missed greens in not ideal places. It was tough to get up and down.
“The greens were really firm, but not super fast. I was just not judging things well today.”
“I had a lot of opportunities I missed for birdies. That would’ve evened out the bogeys,” continued Rohanna.
Rohanna felt she handled the grind of playing 18 holes.
“I fell great physically. That’s what’s frustrating. I wouldn’t think putting would be my downfall,” said Rohanna.
Rohanna had her family watching her daughter, Gemelia, in the Tour-provided daycare, but the first day on the job, as is the case with new moms, was difficult.
“I got to see her at the turn for a couple minutes,” said Rohanna. “It’s great to have my husband and family out to help me out.”