Rohanna tied for 12th after first round
Rachel Rohanna said she “had a couple mistakes near the end,” but otherwise the first round of the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship went pretty good.
The Waynesburg Central graduate opened with a 2-under 70 on the LPGA International, Jones course, in Daytona Beach, Fla., and is in an 11-way tie for 12th place.
The low 70 scores (and ties) advance to Saturday’s third round. Three golfers are tied for the first-round lead at 6-under 66.
Rohanna had a strong start with three birdies and a bogey in her first five holes. She closed the front nine with a birdie to go out in 3-under 33.
“I got up-and-down from a somewhat difficult lie,” Rohanna said of her start on No. 1.
Rohanna’s good fortune didn’t follow along after she made the turn, although she went to 4-under with a birdie-3 on No. 11.
Rohanna had bogeys on Nos. 13, 15 and 17, with most of the problem situated on the putting green. She birdied her final hole to play the back nine in 1-over 37.
“I had a 3-putt on a par-5. The greens were really bumpy. On No. 15 (a par-4), my ball hit a spike mark and bumped right,” said Rohanna. “It was ‘hit and hope.’ You can’t tap down a spike mark.
“But I’m still happy with my round.”
Her start naturally had Rohanna feeling good early in her round.
“It seemed easy, definitely. I was happy I controlled my emotions,” said Rohanna. “I always try to be a perfectionist. It’s hard for me. Sometimes a bogey is not that bad.”
She hit 10-of-14 fairways and 15-of-18 greens in regulation. Rohanna needed 32 putts to complete her round.
Rohanna tees off at 8:33 this morning, so she hopes the greens will be a little smoother.
“I prefer morning tee times, especially after a good round. The greens will be smoother,” said Rohanna. “By the afternoon wave, the grass is grown up and is grainier, and a lot of traffic has gone through.
“If I hit fairways and greens, I should be okay.”