Western PA native Rohanna punches ticket to U.S. Women’s Open
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • May 7, 2024
PITTSBURGH — Familiar with the rolling hills and slick greens of Shannopin Country Club, Rachel Rohanna emerged from a competitive pack Tuesday, qualifying for a spot in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open.
Rohanna, a Waynesburg, Pa. native who has competed on the LPGA and Epson Tours, shot a 2-under 140 in the 36-hole, single-day competition.
“I just felt like I played very solid,” Rohanna said. “The first 18 holes I felt could’ve very easily been much lower than 2-under. All day I felt like I had nothing but 10-15 footers, whether it was for birdie or par.
“Overall, I think I just played really smart and kind of a dot-to-dot versus trying to overpower this course. I think I’ve learned you can’t really do that.”
Rohanna certainly has experience with Shannopin, having played in four U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying events over the last few years, as well as the West Penn Open in 2020.
“There were a couple of different pin placements than I’ve seen in years past,” she said. “But, overall, it was really solid.”
For this round, she and the field dealt not only with the challenging terrain, but with a variety of weather conditions. The morning round featured moderate to near-heavy rain. The afternoon brought intense sunshine. Both rounds had plenty of breeze, as well.
“The tricky thing here is more the wind,” she said of Shannopin, which sits at a high elevation and overlooks downtown Pittsburgh. “I’d say that’s the condition hardest to handle out here. It swirls a lot here.
“And we had a little bit of rain in the morning. I didn’t pack any rain gear but an umbrella. I’m like the least prepared golfer ever. My husband was on my bag and he kept asking, ‘where’s your rain gear.’”
Next, she gets to compete later this month for a national title against the game’s elite. And she gets to do it in her home state, with Lancaster Country Club set to host the U.S. Women’s Open May 28-June 2.
On top of that, she’ll go through the experience with her family — one that has grown since her last trip to a U.S. Women's Open.
“It’s been five years since I played in an Open,” said Rohanna, who missed qualifying last year by two strokes. “I get to take my second daughter. She was with me in the round here last year, in my belly. And now I get to take both of them with me in a few weeks.”
Rohanna's victory is undoubtedly special for the region. A Greene County product who now lives in Washington County and helps with the golf team at Waynesburg University, she showed out for Western Pennsylvania golfers Tuesday, conquering a field with hopefuls from across the globe.
“To be representing Western Pennsylvania, coming out of this qualifier — every year I feel like I should be qualifying, every single year,” she said. “It’s so hard, no matter what. But I’m really excited and happy to be representing Western Pennsylvania.”
Also qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open was professional and Cincinnati, Ohio native Marissa Steen, who won a playoff over Vanessa Borovilos. Those two finished the competition 1-under. Borovilos, an amateur and high school senior from Toronto, will serve as an alternate qualifier, as will amateur Gianna Clemente, who shot even-par for the day.
Click here for the Full Leaderboard.
For media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.