Rohanna looks to break through in 2018
Rachel Rohanna was positioned to play in the fifth and final round of the LPGA Q School after finishing the second round at 1-over.
Then, things went awry in the third round with the Waynesburg Central graduate shooting an 8-over 80, effectively taking her out of contention for a top-70 finish and a berth into the final round.
鈥淚t was a little bit of everything,鈥� said Rohanna. 鈥淚 missed a lot of putts. My putting was not good the whole week.鈥�
Rohanna rebounded in the fourth round with a 1-over 73, but her four-round total of 10-over 298 (71-74-80-73) was six strokes off the cut. She finished tied for 111th.
鈥淚 hit it well enough in the fourth round, but putts just didn鈥檛 fall,鈥� said Rohanna. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy with the way I hit all week. It just wasn鈥檛 my week.鈥�
Rohanna enters the 2018 season basically in the same position as in the 2017 season.
鈥淚鈥檒l go in with some status like last year. I鈥檒l have partial LPGA status and full-time Symetra status,鈥� explained Rohanna.
The LPGA qualifying stages to earn an LPGA Tour card will change for the 2019 season, but Rohanna hopes she won鈥檛 have to go through the qualifying process in 2018.
Rohanna earned just shy of $100,000 in 2017. She won $60,514 in 13 Symetra Tour events and $38,537 in 9 LPGA Tour events.
鈥淚 earned close to $100,000 last year. The combined money, I would鈥檝e have my full-time card,鈥� said Rohanna. 鈥淚t is what it is.鈥�
She believes she is on the verge of breaking through.
鈥淥ne good tournament and that will help me get on (the LPGA) Tour,鈥� said Rohanna. 鈥淭he top 100 receive full status. I think I鈥檓 around 300, but a lot of people in front of me have lifetime status, like Nancy Lopez.
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 the 40th or 50th alternate right now, but that changes after every seven tournaments.鈥�
The goal is full-time status on the LPGA Tour and then earning lifetime Tour status.
Rohanna stopped by Callaway on her drive home from Florida to review new equipment.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 like to change much. It鈥檚 just for fun,鈥� said Rohanna.
The LPGA Tour begins in late January with the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, followed by the ISPS Handa Women鈥檚 Australian Open on Feb. 16-19. The Tour continues its swing through Australasia until mid-March with the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in Phoenix.
The opening tournament of the Symetra Tour is the Florida鈥檚 Natural Charity Classic on March 10-12 in Winter Haven, Fla.
鈥淚 like the decision I made this year to focus on the LPGA. There is no point on (focusing) on just the Symetra Tour when I can go out there and finish high (on the LPGA Tour),鈥� explained Rohanna. 鈥淚 know what my biggest check is. It鈥檚 amazing what the confidence does.鈥�
She鈥檒l likely follow the same plan by playing in Monday qualifiers with the hope and expectation of making enough cuts to move up the ranks when the LPGA Tour reshuffles.
Until then, Rohanna will settle back in Greene County with husband Ethan Virgili, becoming a lady farmer and occasional deer hunter before heading back to Florida to prepare for next season.
鈥淚鈥檒l help Ethan in the butcher shop,鈥� said Rohanna. 鈥淚 think we have right around 80 pregnant cows. They鈥檒l start giving birth around February. Ethan gives me the 2-4 a.m. time to check on the cows.鈥�
As for the search for a big buck during deer season, Rohanna said with a chuckle, 鈥淚 go out really early and hunt for the first 30 minutes of daylight. Then, I sleep. I鈥檓 the worst hunter. It鈥檚 nice to sit out there, especially when it鈥檚 not super cold or windy.鈥�
Rohanna has had a story or two written by tour media about their cattle business, a rarity on women鈥檚 pro golfing circuits. But, she is among a select few to win a tournament and get a buck in the same season.
鈥淪hannon Fish is a big-time hunter in Texas. Amy Olson, from North Dakota, she鈥檚 a hunter, too,鈥� added Rohanna.
A fervent fan of Ohio State football, her alma mater, Rohanna also weighed in on the College Football Playoff, which left the Buckeyes out of the mix.
鈥淚 think the committee shot themselves in the foot last year when they left Penn State out,鈥� Rohanna said of husband鈥檚 alma mater. 鈥淚 thought they would put Ohio State in, but that would鈥檝e been more controversial than if they put Alabama in.鈥�