Rohanna ready for grind of Web.Com Tour qualifier
Robert Rohanna sounded exhausted when he talked about the biggest week of his 2014 golf season and, perhaps, of his professional career Wednesday afternoon.
And, for good reason.
Rohanna completed the 18-event, 10-month PGA TOUR Latinoamerica last weekend in Argentina, hopped a plane to Florida and now readies for 108 holes of golf at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Rohanna opens the 6-day, 6-round tournament on the PGA National Resort & Spa’s Fazio course today on No. 1 at 9:06 a.m. with Australians Bryden MacPherson and Brody Ninyette.
The winner and ties for medalist of the tournament are exempt for the 2015 Web.com Tour season and from any periodic re-order.
The next level goes through 10th (and ties), gaining exemption until the third periodic re-order, while the next group of finishers, 11-45 (and ties), are exempt through the second re-order.
All finishers after 45th have conditional status for the 2015 season.
The re-order is done to drop some golfers who aren’t playing well and missing cuts, and to elevate those who are.
“The better you play, the more starts you get,” explained Rohanna.
The $510,000 purse is distributed as such: $25,000 for first place; $15,000 for 2nd through ties for 10th; and $10,000 for finishers 11th through ties for 45th.
All that being said, Rohanna must, as will the entire 156-golfer field, muster up six more rounds of quality golf over the next week after a very long season.
“Six rounds (of golf) is a long time,” said Rohanna. “I’m going to take it one hole at a time, one round at a time. It’s not going to be the easiest thing. I’ve been playing golf for months now.”
That much golf compacted into such a short time is demanding, but not necessarily something Rohanna hasn’t done.
“Over 21 days, I’m playing 18 days, at least. It’s what I’ve been doing this year,” said Rohanna.
Two of the four courses on the PGA National compound will be used, the Champion and the Fazio.
“The Champion is the course used for the Honda Classic. It’s one of the best in Florida,” said Rohanna. “The Fazio is technically easier, but not that easy. It’s a little more forgiving, but you still have to hit quality golf shots.
“You need to hit fairways this week. The Bermuda rough is nasty. It’s tough to control shots. The greens are firm and fast.”
One of the big adjustments Rohanna will have to make is “playing at sea level” after tournaments at elevation for most of the tournaments on the Latin American tour.
Another adjustment for Rohanna is the weather, leaving the spring into summer of South America to the winter of Florida.
“It’s chilly,” said Rohanna. “The lows are in the 40s and I think the highs are going to be in the mid-60s. You have to give yourself an extra 10 minutes (in the morning). Get a hot shower, get heat going in the body, have that little extra stretch.”