Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay
Sara Bay Country Club
Sarasota, Florida
Second-Round News & Notes
April 25, 2015
SARASOTA, Fla., April 25, 2015 - Rachel Rohanna (Waynesburg, Pennsylvania) picked the perfect time to post the best round of her professional career, a 6-under 66 to vault from T12 to first place at 7-under 137 with 18 holes to play at the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay. Rohanna will go for her first professional win on Sunday.
The three-year professional turned in a bogey-free scoreboard that including four birdies on her front nine.
“I got off to a good start from the moment I woke up this morning, I felt good and when I got out of the car at the course I felt good,” said Rohanna, who started with a birdie on the 10th hole to open the day. “I hit some very good approach shots which gave me some tap-ins for birdies. I stayed patient and just let everything fall in the hole.”
Rohanna, who started the day six shots behind Giulia Molinaro, made the turn at 5-under. On the back nine, Molinaro began to stumble. The Treviso, Italy native made three bogeys on her back nine to drop to 5-under while nearly simultaneously, Rohanna made birdies on the first and sixth holes to grab the lead. She made a critical 12-foot par putt on her final hole to end the day strong.
“When I made the putt on the final hole and stuck to my instinct it was a pretty good feeling,” said Rohanna.
Rohanna has four career top 10 finishes on the Epson Tour, but no wins.
“Obviously, I would love to get a win, everyone out here is shooting for that,” said the 24-year-old Rohanna. “Whether that is tomorrow, next week or in a couple weeks my goal is just to be patient and not go for any crazy pins.”
Rohanna has played very well in 2015. She has finished in the top 35 in each of the first four events including a tie for ninth at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic.
“I used this analogy with my husband the other night, I feel like my senior year of high school in softball when I batted .420 and felt like any time I stepped up to the plate I was going to make solid contact,” explained Rohanna. “I’m really confident right now standing over the ball and I just keep telling myself to make good swings.”
Rohanna comes from a big golfing family. Her cousin, Robert Rohanna, was on the most recent Big Break and currently plays on the Latin American Tour. Her sister currently plays college golf at Youngstown State and her brother also played college golf. Also, both of her maternal grandparents played on the PGA and LPGA Tours.
Rohanna has played in the final group on the Epson Tour twice. She will be paired with Giulia Molinaro and Cydney Clanton (Concord, N.C.). They will tee at 12:20 p.m. from the first tee.
After a tournament record 7-under 65 on Friday, Molinaro made bogey on three of her final seven holes on Saturday.
“I had the two polar opposite rounds, one after the other,” said Molinaro. “I had one day where everything I saw I made and every shot went well and today I just didn’t get the bounces and couldn’t get shots to drop.”
CLANTON CARDS 3-UNDER TO GET IN HUNT: Cydney Clanton (Concord, North Carolina) posted a 3-under 69, the second best round of the day, in tough conditions to move from T41 to a tie for third.
Clanton made three of her four birdies on the back nine including one on 16 and one on 18.
The former Auburn Tigers golfer finished fifth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2013 and played full-time on the LPGA Tour in 2014. This year, she is playing on both Tours.
Clanton will play next week at the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout. The first LPGA reshuffle is after the event in Dallas so Clanton is happy to be playing well this week heading into an important LPGA event next week.
The 25-year-old has one career win on the Epson Tour at the 2013 Four Winds Invitational.
JACEY CHUN AIMING FOR CAREER BEST FINISH: Jacey Chun (Seoul, South Korea) has played on the Epson Tour since 2011 when she made two starts as an amateur. She turned professional in 2012 and has made 36 starts on the Epson Tour since. She will aim for her first career top 10 finish on Sunday.
Chun carded an even-par 72 on Saturday to stand at 2-under 142 for the event.
“I’m very happy with how I played today,” said the 26-year-old. “My swing was pretty consistent and with the windy conditions I just tried to hit the ball in the center of the fairways and my short irons were good.”
Chun, who had her career best finish in Lake Wales at T19, is excited to be in the hunt.
Chun moved to the Dallas area in 2007 from Korea. After quitting golf for three years, she returned to the game in 2010 and got a scholarship to play at North Texas. She turned professional in 2012.
“I quit golf to focus on my studies,” said Chun. “I had a few friends come over from Korea to play golf and I sort of started again and then I got offered a scholarship and then I was hooked to start playing again.”
QUICK NOTES
• Brianna Do (Lakewood, Calif.) is in a tie for 3rd at 2-under 141. She is in position for her fifth consecutive top 10 finish to open the season.
• Number one on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, Augusta James, posted a 3-over 75 and is T51 after 54-holes.
• Selanee Henderson threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays game on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Lee Lopez (Whittier, Calif.) is in a tie for tenth and will go for her fourth top 10 finish of the year on Sunday. She currently ranks third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
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