DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, Oct. 9, 2017 - Rachel Rohanna (Waynesburg, Pa.) collected her first win of the Epson Tour season at the season finale Epson Tour Championship on Monday at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. Rohanna carded a 4-under par 68 to finish at 13-under par and hold off charges from Yu Liu, Emma Talley and Benyapa Niphatsophon who tied for second at 12-under par.
“In years past I’ve always done well here, but I’ve never really quite pulled out the win,” Rohanna said. “So, it’s always good to end the season on a high note. This is definitely higher than a high note. It’s been awesome.”
Rohanna’s game has been trending upwards this season as she’s collected top-20 finishes in six of her last seven starts.
“I haven’t won in two years, so to get another win under my belt was just awesome to remember I still have it in me,” Rohanna said. “It’s definitely one of my biggest pay checks so to break that barrier as well is really nice.”
While her second career Epson Tour victory isn’t enough to boost her inside the top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card this season, Rohanna will return to Florida in a few short months for the final stage of LPGA Qualifying School in December.
“To win at the Epson Tour Championship, I always said Florida’s like a second home to me, it’s where I had my first win, so that makes it even sweeter,” Rohanna said.
Emma Talley (Princeton, Kentucky) put the pedal down in the final round of the Epson Tour Championship firing a 5-under par 67, cruising her way to a T2 finish and locking down her LPGA card for 2018. Talley breathed a sigh of relief when she finished her round on Monday afternoon.
“My social self, actually got off all social media the past couple weeks, which was so hard,” Talley said. “I couldn’t deal with it because everyone was telling me I’m on the bubble and I was like ‘yeah, I know’. It was difficult, but I just tried to stay patient and keep doing my drills and everything I knew that was going to make me play well. Honestly, just stay patient and take it all one shot at a time and let it happen.”
Talley, the 2013 U.S Women’s Amateur Champion and 2015 NCAA Golf Individual Champion, entered the season-ending tournament on the bubble at No. 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card, but the race has finally ended with her heading to the LPGA.
“It’s a dream come true,” Talley said. “I’ve been working so long, even though I wanted the LPGA last year, it means even more this year.”
With her LPGA card already locked in for 2018, Hannah Green (Perth, Australia) played with no inhibitions on Monday posting a bogey-free 8-under par, the lowest score of the tournament, for her 12th top 10 finish of the season.
Before the Epson Tour season began, Green said her goal was to make it to the LPGA and win three times this season – both goals have now come to fruition.
“I think you have to set your goals pretty high, I’m not out here to get 10th place, I’m here to win every week,” Green said. “Some people don’t feel that way, but I think you have to to be competitive. I certainly am, so for that goal to have been achieved was pretty awesome, and I can’t believe I’m going to be on the LPGA next year.”
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