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Waynesburg’s Rohanna cards second-round 63; leads Open Championship by two strokes

MALVERN, Pa.–Robert Rohanna, a mini-tour professional from Waynesburg, Pa., scorched Applebrook GC (par 71, 6,815 yards) for a second-round 63 on a sweltering Tuesday to grab a two-shot lead over Blaine Peffley of Lebanon, Pa., at the 94th Open Championship. The third and final round begins at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow with the leaders starting their journey, at 10:10 a.m.

Blaine Peffley just misses birdie on No. 6.

Zak Drescher from Landisville, Pa. fills out the final group. He is the low amateur and stands in third place at 8 under.

The cut line fell at 1-over 143. A total of 47 players advanced (30 professionals and 17 amateurs).

Rohanna’s round was one of wonder. He carded nine birdies, an eagle and a shocking triple bogey 7 from the middle of the 18th fairway, his ninth hole (more on that in a minute). He also parred his very first hole, the par 5, 573-yard 10th, the third easiest hole of the championship.

Rohanna, 24, who plays out of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, found his groove after the level-par start. On No. 11 (par 3, 121 yards) he lofted a gap wedge to three feet for birdie; on No. 12 (par 4, 370 yards) he pulled driver, rifled it 35 yards short of the green, chipped up to 15 feet and made 3 and on No. 13 (par 4, 453 yards) hit an 8-iron from 178 yards to 12 feet for another birdie. He kept the round’s momentum with a fantastic and somewhat miraculous up-and-down after hitting his tee shot right of the right greenside bunker on No. 15 (par 3, 224 yards) courtesy of a 25 footer for par before rocketing a 4-iron from 230 yards on No. 16 (par 5, 578 yards) to three feet for eagle.

“I hit it up and over the trees. I didn’t even see the flag,” said Rohanna of his eagle. “I just hit it. I didn’t even know if I could get it there. I hit it really good and right at the flag. I come around the corner and it’s at three feet.”

Robert Rohanna's approach on No. 4.

He drained a 15-footer on No. 17 (par 3, 179 yards) after hitting 6-iron for another 2 and headed to No. 18 (par 4, 454 yards), already at 6 under for the day. Staring at 185 yards to the flag, and a 6-iron in hand, Rohanna was poised for something special.

“My plan was to hit a 195-yard shot. I hit it all over the flagstick. It flew over the back of the green, over the hole and then rolled up against the collar. [Back there] it goes fairway to three inches [of rough] and the ball rolled right up against it,” said Rohanna, who along with Peffley and two others was tied for the lead after the first round. “[On my next shot], I hit the ball and it barely moved. The rough caught my putter and it died. I kind of bladed [my next shot] and it went over the green. I had a 15-foot chip from the thick stuff in front. I hit it to 7 or 8 feet and missed it for triple bogey.

“I tried to laugh it off. I was smiling. I was still 3 under at that point. I hit two good shots. I just had a bad yardage. If it lands a yard shorter it comes back to the hole and I could have made birdie.”

What wasn’t a joking matter was Rohanna’s response to the hiccup. He birdied four of his next five holes.

He ripped a 6-iron from 202 yards on No. 1 (par 5, 522 yards) to 20 feet and two putted for birdie; on No. 2 (par 4, 366 yards) smashed a 3-wood and lob wedge from 68 yards to eight feet; on No. 4 (par 4, 418 yards) choked down a 6-iron from 172 yards to 12 feet and on the difficult par 3, 5th hole hit a 6-iron to three feet. Two pars followed before he knocked a lob wedge from 71 yards to three feet on No. 8 (par 5, 581 yards) for his final birdie of the day. He parred No. 9 (par 3, 149 yards) for a 63. It equaled his career-best tournament low round.

“Off to that start, I just wanted to keep it going,” said Rohanna, who turned professional in January after a standout career at Penn State University. “It’s the second round, it’s not over today. I told myself to keep playing the course the way you have been playing it.”

Peffley, a professional on the NGA Hooters and Nationwide tours, held the clubhouse lead after the morning round with a sensational 65 He stands at 10-under par.

“I’m excited. I haven’t been in hunt to win a golf tournament since I lost in a playoff on the Hooters event [in April at the Crystal Lake Open presented by 640 WGST in Hampton, Ga.],” said Peffley, 25, who turned professional in 2007. “The more times I can put myself in the hunt, the better it is going to make me as a player. I get really excited when I’m in a position like this.”

The two-time Hooters Tour winner, who began his second round on No. 10, opened with a smooth eight pars and birdie – on No. 13 (par 4, 453 yards) he dropped an 8-iron from 154 yards to three feet from the cup – before wrestling control of the tournament in the next three holes. He would go 4-under par in that stretch.

On No. 1 (par 5, 522 yards), he smashed a 6-iron from 195 yards to 15 feet and drained the eagle putt; on No. 2 (par 4, 366 yards) Peffley he lofted a gap wedge from 102 yards to four feet for birdie and on the short, par 4 third (310 yards) drove the putting green to 20 feet and two putted.

Peffley has played that stretch of holes over the first two days in 7-under par.

He had a number of 8 to 10-foot birdie looks coming in, but recorded only one more under-par figure, a two-putt birdie on No. 8 (par 5, 581 yards) for birdie from 20 feet.

“I was much more comfortable with course and the lines today,” said Peffley, who had never seen Applebrook GC before yesterday. “I wanted to eliminate the bogeys and I did that.”

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster year for Peffley. In a string of firsts: he made the final stage of Q-School for the PGA Tour; competed in his first Nationwide Tour event (he holds conditional status after advancing to the final stage of Q-School) and teed it up in his first Major Championship as a professional at the U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links. However, severe struggles at Pebble dented his confidence and a swing change only added his worries.

“It was just kind of heartbreaking because I worked so hard to get out there and I showed up with nothing,” said Peffley of the U.S. Open experience. “It just tore me apart. I’ve been trying to get my mind to where it needs to be. [I’m finally] getting closer.”

Name	City	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Total
Robert T. Rohanna	Waynesburg, Pa.	67	63	130
Blaine E. Peffley	Lebanon, Pa.	67	65	132
(a) Zak Drescher	Landisville, Pa.	69	64	133
(a) Nathan Sutherland	Wyomissing, Pa.	67	68	135
(a) Andrew J. Mason	Huntingdon Valley, Pa.	68	68	136
Eric Kennedy	Haverford, Pa.	69	67	136
Billy Stewart	Devon, Pa.	68	70	138
Gregory Pieczynski	Kingston, Pa.	70	68	138
John E. Pillar, Sr.	Hawley, Pa.	71	67	138
John Spina	Schwenksville, Pa.	69	69	138
Kevin J. Busteed	Peckville, Pa.	67	71	138
(a) Kyle T. Davis	Kennett Square, Pa.	70	68	138
(a) Matt Moot	Johnstown, Pa.	68	70	138
Mike Larkin	Gibsonia, Pa.	69	69	138
Roy Vucinich	Moon Twp, Pa.	71	68	139
Scott E. Hunter	Collegeville, Pa.	68	71	139
Bob Friend	Pittsburgh, Pa.	71	69	140
Dan Thompson	Johnstown, Pa.	70	70	140
Daniel Konieczny	Mt. Pleasant, Pa.	70	70	140
David S. Patronik	Erie, Pa.	70	70	140
Hugh P. Reilly	Willow Grove, Pa.	70	70	140
Joe Boros	Saxonburg, Pa.	69	71	140
(a) Tucker Koch	Malvern, Pa.	70	70	140
(a) David DeNunzio	Jeannette, Pa.	71	70	141
(a) James Kania, Jr.	Haverford, Pa.	71	70	141
John Aber	Pittsburgh, Pa.	70	71	141
(a) Nicholas Reach	Moscow, Pa.	74	67	141
Terry Hertzog	Lititz, Pa.	73	68	141
(a) Travis J. Howe	Osceola, Pa.	75	66	141
Travis W. Deibert	Doylestown, Pa.	71	70	141
(a) Andrew K. Kay	Pittsford, NY	71	71	142
Brian Kelly	Lewisburg, Pa.	73	69	142
(a) C.G. Mercatoris, IV	Brookville, Pa.	72	70	142
Chad A. Bricker	Waynesboro, Pa.	68	74	142
Jon Rusk	Yardley, Pa.	69	73	142
Kevin Shields	Pittsburgh, Pa.	71	71	142
(a) Michael Heller	Wapwallopen, Pa.	72	70	142
(a) Robert L. Robertson	Philadelphia, Pa.	70	72	142
Adam R. Condello	West Chester, Pa.	72	71	143
(a) Brandon Dalinka	Newtown, Pa.	72	71	143
Brandon Knaub	Seven Valleys, Pa.	71	72	143
David McNabb	Newark, DE	68	75	143
George J. Forster	Villanova, Pa.	73	70	143
(a) Gregor A. Orlando	Erie, Pa.	70	73	143
John D. Allen	Media, Pa.	69	74	143
(a) John Popeck	Washington, Pa.	72	71	143
Robert D. Shuey	Mechanicsburg, Pa.	73	70	143

Failed to qualify
Chad N. Warmbein	McMurray, Pa.	73	71	144
Alexander D. Knoll	Bethlehem, Pa.	74	71	145
(a) Brian C. Creghan	Radnor, Pa.	69	76	145
Brian W. Bergstol	Mt. Bethel, Pa.	74	71	145
Kevin Nicholson	Schwenksville, Pa.	72	73	145
(a) Marc A. Mandel	Conshohocken, Pa.	74	71	145
(a) Ross P. Pringle	Titusville, Pa.	72	73	145
Tony R. Perla	Collegeville, Pa.	74	71	145
William J. Sautter	Warrington, Pa.	74	71	145
Albert Hromulak	Pittsburgh, Pa.	72	74	146
Conrad Von Borsig	Swarthmore, Pa.	71	75	146
(a) Daniel R. Bernard	Malvern, Pa.	74	72	146
David Pagett	Oreland, Pa.	73	73	146
(a) Eric W. Williams	Honesdale, Pa.	71	75	146
Jarred Texter	Millersville, Pa.	71	75	146
(a) Matt Smith	Lancaster, Pa.	68	78	146
(a) Michael F. Johnson	Ambler, Pa.	73	73	146
Robert Agresti	West Chester, Pa.	76	70	146
(a) Robert B. Galbreath, Jr.	Huntingdon Valley, Pa.	68	78	146
(a) Ryan J. Gelrod	Ambler, Pa.	72	74	146
(a) Anthony D. DeGol	Hollidaysburg, Pa.	73	74	147
(a) Brixton Albert	Lititz, Pa.	70	77	147
(a) Chuck A. Nettles	McMurray, Pa.	76	71	147
Corey McAlarney	Lake Ariel, Pa.	72	75	147
(a) David L. Denlinger	Lancaster, Pa.	76	71	147
(a) Michael J. Vassil	Dalton, Pa.	75	72	147
Mike Van Sickle	Wexford, Pa.	74	73	147
(a) Nicolas Milito	Jeannette, Pa.	72	75	147
(a) Patrick H. Serfass	Chadds Ford, Pa.	73	74	147
Steven Kiefner	Bethlehem, Pa.	74	73	147
Christopher B. Hoyle	Drexel Hill, Pa.	74	74	148
Corey J. Katzen	East Brunswick, NJ	76	72	148
(a) Daniel R. Charen	Langhorne, Pa.	76	72	148
(a) Gregor F. Meyer	Pittsburgh, Pa.	74	74	148
(a) Jeffrey A. Varga	Monroeville, Pa.	70	78	148
(a) Erik B. Bertrand	Pittsburgh, Pa.	73	76	149
(a) Greg Jarmas	Wynnewood, Pa.	77	72	149
Stephen Arnold	Langhorne, Pa.	72	77	149
Tony Traci	Pittsburgh, Pa.	75	74	149
(a) Travis J. Gahman	Souderton, Pa.	78	71	149
Tyler Brewington	Orangeville, Pa.	78	71	149
Bob Ford	Oakmont, Pa.	77	73	150
(a) Craig S. Kliewer	Ephrata, Pa.	77	73	150
David Fields	Macungie, Pa.	75	75	150
Devin Gee	Oakmont, Pa.	76	74	150
(a) Gary E. Daniels	Berwyn, Pa.	76	74	150
(a) Joe Corsi	Greensburg, Pa.	77	73	150
Matthew J. Goudie	Conestoga, Pa.	75	75	150
Russel Harbold	Mountville, Pa.	74	76	150
(a) Alexandre A. Belmont	Warminster, Pa.	76	75	151
(a) Christopher Crawford	Bensalem, Pa.	75	76	151
Mike Dynda	Blue Bell, Pa.	75	76	151
Mike Milewski	Paupack, Pa.	79	72	151
(a) Ross Brown	Kingston, Pa.	77	74	151
(a) Andy Gibbons	Lebanon, Pa.	74	78	152
(a) Jimmy Johnston	Wayne, Pa.	75	77	152
(a) Steven R. Minnick, Jr.	Broomall, Pa.	72	80	152
(a) Arthur J. Kania, Jr.	Haverford, Pa.	78	75	153
(a) Jeffrey L Griest	Glen Mills, Pa.	78	75	153
(a) Jon D. Rudisill	Wyomissing, Pa.	80	73	153
Nolan Peterson	Aspers, Pa.	78	75	153
(a) Brandon Hartranft	Lancaster, Pa.	76	78	154
(a) Christopher W. Ault	Yardley, Pa.	80	74	154
Kevin P. Kelly	Horsham, Pa.	79	75	154
Andrew P. Dawes	Palmyra, Pa.	75	80	155
(a) Greg Verde	Wayne, Pa.	74	81	155
(a) Steve V. Scarpetta	Moosic, Pa.	77	78	155
Adam Pifer	Telford, Pa.	77	79	156
(a) John C. La Dow	Pottstown, Pa.	79	77	156
(a) Lance T. Oberparleiter	Blenheim, NJ	75	81	156
(a) Marlin Detweiler	Akron, Pa.	78	78	156
(a) Michael Domenick	Phoenixville, Pa.	78	78	156
(a) Ronald DeNunzio	Jeannette, Pa.	76	80	156
Butch Johnson	Glen Mills, Pa.	79	78	157
(a) Michael G. Flickinger	Pittsburgh, Pa.	75	83	158
(a) Ryan Schneiter	Lebanon, Pa.	84	75	159
(a) David W. Pompey	Clarks Summit, Pa.	73	87	160
(a) James P. Bea	Churchville, Pa.	83	77	160
(a) Peter J. Moran	Chester Springs, Pa.	80	80	160
(a) Kevin T. Haag	Hummelstown, Pa.	76	WD	WD
(a) Robert Gill	Shavertown, Pa.	80	WD	WD
(a) Ryan Blair	Center Valley, Pa.	71	DQ	DQ

DQ-disqualification; WD-withdrawal

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