Apr 28, 2019 By Jim Downey, For The Greene County Messenger 3 min read

Rachel Rohanna closed the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout Sunday afternoon with an eagle to pull into a tie for 17th place with a three-round score of 7-over 223.

The eagle on the 72nd hole allowed the Waynesburg Central graduate finish with a 1-over 73 in the final round.

“Yes, and this one usually does,” Rohanna responded when asked if the course won. “I was happy to get two back on it on No. 18.”

Rohanna believes this is the best finish she’s had with a highest score.

“I think in 2015 here I finished ninth at the same score, but those would probably be my two highest scores with highest finishes,” recalled Rohanna.

Only three golfers finished at even-par or better with Julieta Granada and Cydney Clanton tied at 2-under 214 after 72 holes. Clanton won on the third playoff hole.

Rohanna opened the final round at 6-over after shooting 3-over 75 in the first two rounds.

She promptly lost a stroke to par with a bogey-6 on the first hole. Rohanna shot up to 9-over for the tournament with a double bogey-7 on the fifth hole.

Rohanna recovered a bit with two birdies, a bogey and par over the final four holes to go out in 2-over 38.

Rohanna pulled back to 1-over for the day with a birdie on No. 13, but gave strokes back with consecutive bogeys before closing with the eagle.

“Yesterday was windy, but other than that the weather was perfect. You can’t hit too many drivers her because the fairways do get narrow which leaves you a long shot to huge and very undulating greens,” said Rohanna. “If you hit the wrong spot on the green, you could roll up to 40 yards off — and sometimes into hazards — and then have very difficult wedge shots.

“The greens were really quick down hill, but slow uphill, which made it hard, too. Then the bunkers had so much sand in them, so if you hit into one you usually were buried. Either you’d take an unplayable, which I did once Saturday, or just hope to somehow get it out of the hole it was in.”

Rohanna reinforced the course’s difficulty, adding, “It’s just a difficult course.”

Rohanna usually makes up ground on par-5s, but was 4-over before the eagle on the last par-5.

“With the exception of No. 18, which was going to be a difficult birdie hole today, so eagling it made me feel like I got a stroke and a half back on the field,” said Rohanna. 

Rohanna, along with Uniontown senior Danae Rugola, will play in the Women’s U.S. Open Championship qualifier at Chartiers Country Club on Monday, May 6. Then she’s off to Atlanta for a Symetra Tour event.