Tennessee sophomore close to full strength
A recent bout with mononucleosis kept Kaitlyn Rohrback off the golf course for three weeks. It also likely cost her a spot in the U.S. Women’s Amateur when she wilted at the end of a qualifying round on Monday.
But on Thursday in the 90th Maryland Women’s Amateur, the University of Tennessee sophomore was close to full strength as she edged one of her friends from Crofton Country Club, medalist Elyse Smidinger, 2 and 1 in the match play finals at Lake Presidential in Greater Upper Marlboro.
Rohrback, 19, took the lead on the third hole with a spectacular eagle 3, hitting a 3-hybrid to within inches from 205 yards out. Then at No. 17, Rohrback rolled in a slick, 12-foot downhill putt for a birdie. When Smidinger, 17, missed her 6-footer, the title was Rohrback’s for a second straight year.
“Winning was hard both times for different reasons,” Rohrback said.
Last year, Rohrback faced a more experienced foe, former Maryland Women’s Amateur champion and William & Mary player Caroline Sweet. This time, Rohrback had a formidable opponent in Smidinger — along with the searing heat. As thermometers approached triple digits in the D.C. area, Rohrback chose to ride in a golf cart, while Smidinger walked.
“I would have normally [walked], but I had mono,” Rohrback said. “I’m still just getting my strength back.”
Earlier in the week at the Country Club of York (Pa.), Rohrback was in position to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the first time. But she played the final four holes in 5 over and shot 76.
Two days earlier, in Edina, Minn., Smidinger shot 72 and survived a playoff to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the first time.
On Thursday, however, after making 20 birdies in 57 holes the previous three days, Smidinger struggled with her putting and didn’t win a hole on the front nine.
“I felt some pressure, but I embraced it,” said Smidinger, a senior at Arundel. “I was a little nervous, but it was more my putts just weren’t dropping.”
When Rohrback missed the green on the first two holes of the back nine and made bogeys, Smidinger, the Maryland public schools state champion last fall, didn’t waste the opportunity. Hitting fairways and greens, Smidinger made two pars to square the match.
Smidinger’s only mistake on the back nine came at No. 15, where she pushed her approach into a deep, greenside bunker on her way to a double bogey to fall 1 down. Two holes later, Rohrback clinched with her clutch putt.
“Luckily I got the speed and the break right,” Rohrback said. “My putting’s been really, really solid for the last few weeks.”
