Rohanna has another top-10 finish
Rachel Rohanna had a rough start with a double bogey and bogey in the first three holes, but the Waynesburg Central graduate made up the lost shots for an even-par 72 Sunday in the final round of the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout presented by PepsiCo.
Rohanna finished tied for ninth with a three-round total of 5-over 221 for earnings of $1,885. She slipped to 10th on the money list with $52,314 and two tournaments remaining.
American Jackie Stoelting was the only golfer under par, finishing first with a 3-under 213 to win the top prize of $15,000.
Rohanna opened with a birdie, but hit a bump in the road with a double bogey and bogey to go 7-over for the tournament.
She settled down from that point, however, with two birdies and four pars to go out in even-par 36.
The back nine wasn’t as uneven with a birdie, bogey and seven pars to play the back in 36.
“I played pretty steady day today. I hit the ball really well, but couldn’t get the ball to the hole with my putting. I missed probably three or four birdie opportunities inside 15 feet and a 3-footer for par on 17,” said Rohanna. “I’m happy with how I’m hitting it and I think this course was a good warm up for the last two weeks.”
Rohanna hit 9-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens in regulation. She had her lowest putt total of the tournament, 32.
Buffalo Dunes Golf Club in El Dorado, Ark., didn’t allow much over the three days. The last-place finisher shot 20-over and Rohanna believes that was the best finish with the highest score she’s had as a professional.
“Overall, the course was the toughest one we play all year and to have finished my last 47 holes at 1-under, I was extremely happy with that,” a proud Rohanna said.
Rohanna was not alone in her assessment of the course.
“You could play conservatively, but that means you’re going to have at least two or three bogeys at minimum,” said Rohanna, adding with a chuckle, “A lot of the shots you had to just close your eyes and hope the ball finds the 5×5 piece of flat green where they stuck the pin.”
The Symetra Tour has the week off as it moves to Florida for the final two tournaments, the IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, Fla., on Oct. 9-11, and the Symetra Tour Championship on Oct. 15-18, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The top 10 finishers on the Symetra Tour money list automatically earn their LPGA card. Rohanna is in 10th place with by a $2,000 or so, and is less than $200 out of ninth place.