Rohanna ready for the biggest tournament of her life

All the tournaments, all the driving, all the miserable weather, finally plays out today for Rachel Rohanna as Stage III, the final stage, of LPGA Q School begins on the LPGA International Jones and Hills courses.
Rohanna tees it up at 8:30 a.m. on No. 10 of the Hills course today as the 5-round tournament gets underway with 156 golfers playing for 20 spots on the 2015 LPGA Tour. The Waynesburg Central graduate is paired with China’s Maggie Yuan Chengdu and Sweden’s Caroline Westrup Ahus.
The field will be pared to 75 after four rounds. Those that finish 21-45 gain partial status on the LPGA Tour.
The last two rounds of the final warm-up tournament on the SunCoast Ladies Series on the Jones course were rained out, so Rohanna lost two competitive rounds of golf last week but did have some of her entry fee returned and made it back home a little earlier for Thanksgiving.
“Obviously, I was disappointed. I was playing well,” said Rohanna, who shot 2-under in the opening round. “But, it was great to get on that course another time before Q School.”
With both courses used for the 90-hole tournament, Rohanna said she didn’t have preference where to begin, but is pleased with her starting location and time.
“I preferred to start on the one I’m starting on and I’m happy to be on No. 10. It’s good to get out before it gets windy,” said Rohanna, who conducted the interview as she waited in the medical tent for some maintenance work on her back.
The weather will be quite different for Q School as compared to the two preview tournaments. The tournament held on the Hills course two weeks ago had a frost delay and chilly temperatures, while the tournament on the Jones course was cancelled because of rain.
The extended forecast for Daytona Beach is enviable for Rohanna’s husband Ethan and the family dogs back in western Pennsylvania with 70 degree days with a chance of rain increasing as the tournament progresses to the weekend.
Ninety holes of golf might be something the weekend warrior looks forward to on a vacation with his buddies, but five straight days of competitive golf with so much on the line is a little bit different.
“I look at it like a marathon. Ninety holes, this is the biggest tournament I’ve ever played in,” explained Rohanna. “I’ve probably played that much with practice rounds, but tournament golf is tougher. It is mentally draining.”
Rohanna will have a familiar face on her bag for the weeklong tournament, her mother Debbie.
“Mom knows the rules. She walked with me yesterday. She’s keeping up,” said Rohanna, adding with chuckle, “I tell her ‘Keep up & shut up.’ But, we go over my game plan and my notes. She’s good at (keeping notes). She’s studied the greens.
“I’m ready.”