Rohanna begins title defense with 1-under 71
Rachel Rohanna was cruising along through the opening round of the Symetra Tour Championship Thursday in defense of her 2017 title until she reached the 17th hole.
The Waynesburg Central graduate took a triple bogey-6 on the next-to-last hole, slipping to 1-under and into a tie for 31st place.聽
Pavarisa Yoktuan leads after the first round at 10-under 62.
“I was trying to avoid the right side of the green. The water to the left of the green didn’t cross my mind,” said Rohanna of her tee shot on No. 17. “I had a bad lie in the drop area. It was just a mess.
“It’s frustrating. I was feeling real good. The thought (of hitting in the water) was not crossing my mind and I had one bad swing.”
Rohanna was cruising right along until that point, working her way into the top 10 on the leaderboard at 4-under.
She birdied the second hole, but gave the stroke back with a bogey on No. 7.
“I hit my tee shot in the left rough and had a bad lie. I hit a good shot, but had a tricky chip shot and left it 10 feet short,” explained Rohanna.聽
Rohanna closed the front nine with a birdie to go out in 1-under 35. She made the turn with a couple pars before getting back-to-back birdies to go to 3-under.
“I was making a lot of good putts. I made a couple on Nos. 10 and 11 for par,” said Rohanna.聽
A birdie on No. 16 pushed her to 4-under before the wayward tee shot on No. 17.
“I had a lot of tough lies on chip shots that cost me. I really could’ve been lower,” said Rohanna, who played the back nine in even-par 36.
Rohanna hit 8-of-14 fairways and 13-of-18 greens in regulation. She needed 28 putts.
Rohanna enters the 2018 Tour Championship with a different mindset, especially after giving birth to her daughter Gemelia earlier this year.
“This year is an off year for me. I knew I love this course. I had the mindset I could win this if I could get some putts to fall,” said Rohanna. “Since I have a daughter now, it frees my mind up so much on the course. I stay relaxed. She’s been a blast to travel with.
“My mentality it to be a little more relaxed out there. It’s benefited me golf-wise, obviously.”
The projected cut line for the low 60 scores and ties is even-par when Rohanna tees off on the LPGA International Jones course at 8:23 this morning.
“I feel really good on the course. I’m playing for a nice check. I could play in eight tournaments this year and this is my fifth one,” said Rohanna, who is playing on maternity leave for the 2017 season.