Rohanna gets first pro tournament win
Waynesburg native Rachel Rohanna won the Guardian Retirement Championship Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title.
Waynesburg native Rachel Rohanna won the Guardian Retirement Championship Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Sparked by a chip-in for par on the No. 15 hole, Rachel Rohanna held on down the stretch in tough conditions Sunday to win the Symetra Tour’s Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay Country Club, the first professional golf title for the Waynesburg native.
Rohanna finished with a 5-under par 211 to edge five players by two strokes.
After moving into the lead with a 6-under 66 in the second round Saturday, Rohanna played steady golf over the final 18 holes. Taking a two-shot lead into the final round, Rohanna shot 74 but was able to hold off all challengers and win the $16,500 first prize. She also moved from 16th to fourth in the Volvik Race for the Card money list with a five-event total of $23,233.
“It has been an amazing week and I’m so excited happy to have my first win here in Sarasota. I’m so happy with the way I played,” said Rohanna, a former PIAA champion at Waynesburg who went on to play college golf at Ohio State.
First-round leader Giulia Molinaro, who shot 65 Friday, closed with consecutive rounds of 74. She began the final round two shots behind the 24-year-old Rohanna and pulled into a tie for the lead at 6-under after nine holes. Rohanna regained the lead with a birdie on the par-4 No. 11 but bogeyed the next hole to create another tie for first place.
Rohanna then birdied three consecutive holes while Molinaro bogeyed Nos. 13 and 15. Rohanna made a chip for par on No. 15, which left her at 6-under and with a two-stroke lead with three holes remaining.
“When I chipped in on the 15th hole, that gave me a lot of confidence going into the next three holes, Rohanna said. “But at the same time, maybe it got me too excited because I made bogey on the next hole.”
That bogey on No. 16, combined with Molinaro’s par, trimmed Rohanna’s lead to one shot. Molinaro then had another bogey on the 17th hole, which gave Rohanna margin for error on the final hole. She put her third shot on the par-5 No. 18 to within eight feet of the pin and inside both Molinaro and Cydney Clanton, the third player in the final group.
Rohanna two-putted to finish with a three-round total of 5-under 211. Molinaro, Claude Aimee-LeBlanc of Canada and Americans Lindy Duncan, Lee Lopez and Jean Reynolds all tied for second, two shots behind Rohanna at 3-under.
“When I made that final putt, it was like everything drained from my body,” Rohanna said. “I looked at Cydney and she said, ‘Congratulations!'”
Rohanna was excellent on the greens all week. She only had one three-putt the entire tournament.
A veteran of two United States Opens and the U.S. Amateur, Rohanna has been solid on five starts this season on the Symetra Tour, which is the developmental circuit for the LPGA. This is Rohanna’s second year on the Symetra Tour.
“I think I can take this experience to other tournaments,” Rohanna said. “I remember getting mu first junior win and amateur win, and those gave me so much confidence. To say I finally have a professional win under my belt is awesome. I’m sure it’s going to help down the road.”
The next event on the Symetra Tour is the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic in Greenwood, S.C., May 7-10.
It was a big Sunday for the Rohanna family in several ways. Earlier in the day, Rachel’s younger sister, Emily, helped Youngstown State’s women’s golf team to the Horizon League championship.
Rohanna was asked if she had any special plans for the $16,500?
“I’ve got my eye on a new heifer so I might be getting a new cow soon,” Rohanna said.