Rachel Rohanna had a busy day in Daytona Beach, Florida during the final Symetra Tour event of the season.
Rohanna, her daughter, and her mother were among the thousands affected by the nearly 2,400 Southwest Airlines flights canceled, so she began looking for a return flight to Pennsylvania for the trio.
Wrapped in all the airline drama, an ailing toddler comforts with little sleep.
Oh, the Waynesburg Central graduate also got her LPGA Tour card back after battling for a Top 40 finish in the Symetra Tour Championship.
Rohanna finished the four-day tournament at the end of the season 9 under 279. Her earnings of $ 1,541 were enough to secure 10th and last place on the money list for $ 75,608.
She followed Swiss Morgane Metraux in ninth place with $ 163 but, more importantly, had a $ 4,000 advantage over Beth Wu for last place.
Rohanna quickly got out of the gate and shot a 6-under 66 in the opening round on October 7th on the LPGA International, Jones Course. She eagle # 18 to go with five birdies and only one bogey.
“The first day was dry and 100 degrees,” said Rohanna about the weather.
On the second day the weather turned, which led to delays, two postponements due to darkness and a lot of golf in a short time.
“I was on my fourth hole on the fairway (when the game was postponed for the second round),” said Rohanna. “The next day I had to play 31½ holes.
“It got me physically and mentally. I got there before sunrise and left after sunset.
“I think I pulled a muscle on my left side. I asked myself, do I really need a warm-up (before the third round)? “
Conditions changed dramatically when she returned on Saturday to finish her second lap.
“After the water, the course was so muddy. I had over 30,000 steps. I only brought a pair of waterproof leather shoes. I kept changing my socks, but I got blisters, ”said Rohanna. “And since we finished the second lap, the track was wet and there were mud balls. We weren’t allowed to lift, clean, or replace.
“The wind didn’t play a role until the third lap. I’m shocked how good the results were in the third and fourth round. “
Rohanna actually played the third round with Wu.
“I knew that Beth played well in the third round and that she had momentum in the fourth round. I bogeyed my last hole. I had a bogey on an eagle or birdie hole. I wasn’t in good mental health, ”said Rohanna.
Rohanna had some free time between the third and fourth laps and used the break to prepare for a Monday flight, which was eventually canceled.
“I had a two-hour break so I went back to the hotel and packed my things,” said Rohanna, a 2012 graduate of Ohio State University.
Part of that process was preparing their clothing for the final 18 holes of the season.
“What’s your lucky outfit?” Rohanna wondered, adding that she wasn’t superstitious.
Rohanna started her last lap in 10th place, while Wu was in the top nine.
“I like to start in the second nine on this course. I knew I would rather finish 9th than 18th, ”said Rohanna. “I made a really good birdie putt on No. 2, my 11th hole. I made a good birdie on number 5, my 14th hole.
“I still had four holes. I will not lie. I said to myself, just hold on tight. “
Despite her request to herself, Rohanna made the last four holes way too interesting.
“I dragged a pitching wedge on par 3 (No. 6) into the left bunker. I was six or seven feet and felt good about the putt, but missed the putt, ”Rohanna said of the bogey. “Then, on # 7, I hit 5-wood off the tee and made a great approach shot. The ball hit really hard and rolled back onto the green. I have two putti for par.
“I had a million things going through my head.”
One of those things that went through Rohanna was how to deal with her wayward drive on # 8, her 17th hole.
“I pushed my driver to the right. The ball flew over the fairway bunker and into the obstacle. (Your approach shot) made a strange jump and I had a 30 footer for par. I hung up and typed in for bogey. “
At the final hole, Rohanna said: “Fortunately, No. 9 has a fairly wide fairway. I grazed a driver and I grazed my second shot. I got a 60 degree but I had a 30 foot straight up the hill. I’ll leave it four feet short. I said to myself, ‘You’re kidding me.’
“I steered the ball into the back of the hole. I said to myself, just put it in the hole. “
Rohanna thought her 1-under 71 was going to be more rewarded than it was.
“Given the difficult conditions, I was surprised that I didn’t get promoted. I thought I was going to move up to number 20. Instead, I moved back to 37th, ”said Rohanna.
Rohanna then had to wait to see if her finish would hold to get her into the top 10 and wished no harm on any of her fellow golfers, especially Wu.
“It was still nerve wracking. I was the first (No. 10). I don’t know where I am because I only see the top 10 on the scoreboard. I was hoping everyone else would do better and distribute the money, ”said Rohanna.
To add to the nerves, Wu’s marker punched an incorrect score into the computer.
“You got the wrong score for Beth when she came down the track,” said Rohanna. “Beth is a great player. I made an extremely good par on the 16th hole in the third round and she gives me a punch. That’s great.”
Lilia Vu finished the Race for the Card ranking with $ 162,292. Fatima Fernandez Cano (119,180 USD), Casey Danielson (114,534 USD), Sophia Schubert (101,163 USD), Ruixin Liu (95,281 USD), Maude-Aimee Leblanc (94,188 USD), Amanda Doherty ($ 90,921), and Allison Emrey ($ 82,644).
Rohanna first achieved a top 10 placement for full-time status on the LPGA Tour in 2015 when she won the Guardian Retirement Championship. Rohanna had four top 10 finishes, including two second places (Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic, Twin Bridges Championship).
10th place saved Rohanna the added pressure of the Q-Series, and the added cost of the tournament would add to that.
“It’s the first two weeks of December. The fee is $ 2,500, plus an additional $ 2,500 for a caddy. Then there is the hotel room and the food, ”said Rohanna. “It’s an expensive week.”
Rohanna celebrated with the other top 10 finishers, according to the official announcement, then set out to return to Greene County and take care of her daughter.
“She has an infection. It happened so quickly, ”explained Rohanna, who said Gemelia was much better on Tuesday.
The trio was supposed to fly out on Monday morning after the tournament, but got caught in the whirlwind of Southwest Airlines. Both Rohanna and her mother Debbie were working on websites and emails for a return trip home. The 10am flight eventually became a 4:30 pm departure.
“We know how quickly we have to get things done,” said Rohanna with a laugh and added: “The flight was completely full.”
Rohanna then returned to the course as head coach of the Waynesburg University women’s golf team before her preparations for the 2022 season begin. The Yellow Jackets play in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship, the championships of which begin on October 13th.
Rohanna looked back on the season as she prepared for another foray on the LPGA tour.
“I feel like I’ve played really well this year,” said Rohanna. “I should be able to walk well this year.”