The sun was beating down on the back of Robert Rohanna's neck while he was preparing for a difficult birdie putt on the 13th hole.
Rohanna had made several challenging putts up to that point, but this one was different. He hit his Titleist golf ball with a smooth stroke, but couldn't believe the result.
As his ball wrapped around the cup and stopped inches away, it was clear that Rohanna was trying to hide the frustration building up in the back of his mind.
Rohanna, a member of the Penn State golf team last season, still managed to win the USGA Amateur Qualifier played yesterday on the Blue Course, despite his putting woes.
By winning the tournament, Rohanna qualified to play in the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be held at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. from Aug. 18-24.
"You can't do anything about it," Rohanna said of his putting misfortunes in the second round. "I hit my line and I hit good putts and every putt lipped out. I could not do anything about it. It's just one of those days. I got a few to go in there at the end.
"I've been practicing my putting a lot recently. I have a big tournament this weekend, then the PA Amateurs next week. Hopefully I can get that going, and then the U.S. Amateur"
Luckily for Rohanna, he was near perfect in every other aspect of the game. He made countless difficult chips look effortless with a smooth, textbook swing. His relaxed play made it clear that the sweat on his neck was a result of the 80-degree heat, not the pressure of every shot.
Rohanna finished the first round at even par with a score of 71, two back of then leader Anthony Degol. He pulled ahead of the competition in the final round by a shooting a 69, tied with Degol for the best round of the day.
"The U.S. Amateur is the biggest amateur event in the country. You always want to play in that," Rohanna said. "I missed the cut by one last year, but this year I'd really like to make the cut. The more I play the better experience I get, so hopefully I can do well."
Penn State golfer Chad Bricker finished two strokes back of Rohanna, shooting 142 for the day. Chad Bricker will be an alternate for the tournament at Pinehurst.
"It's no surprise really that he shot 140. He's a good player," Bricker said of his former teammate.
Penn State golfers Travis Howe, Matt Leon, and Brendan Borst shot 148, 151 and 147 respectively. Austin Antolik, a Penn State student not on the golf team, shot 148 for the day.
While each player approached a USGA official with their scorecards when their respective rounds were done, it became evident how exhausting the whole day was. The 36 holes and high temperatures had taken their toll as players headed immediately to the clubhouse for shelter and cold drinks.
While most of the golfers had to adjust to the heat while still adjusting to the course, it wasn't nearly as much of a problem for the Blue Course natives.
"Getting the three practice rounds in was huge. I was up for Arts Fest a couple weeks ago and I played a round on Saturday," Antolik said. "It definitely helped out to get familiarized with the course."
Keith Stauffer, who finished the day one stroke behind the lead, will join Rohanna this August at Pinehurst.
The 44-year-old is no stranger to the U.S. Amateur Championship, qualifying once before in 1986. He currently coaches golf for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford but claims to be an avid Penn State fan.
The weather may have affected Stauffer more than other player on the course as stamina was clearly not one of his strong suits compared to his youthful competition.
"These kids are tough out here. They're used to playing 36 holes a day. This is the only time this year I played 36 holes in a day so it's a lot tougher," Stauffer said. "I have to work on my stamina throughout the year and try to stay in shape." While most of the golfers had to adjust to the heat while still adjusting to the course, it wasn't nearly as much of a problem for the Blue Course natives.
"Getting the three practice rounds in was huge. I was up for Arts Fest a couple weeks ago and I played a round on Saturday," Antolik said.
"It definitely helped out to get familiarized with the course."
Keith Stauffer, who finished the day one stroke behind the lead, will join Rohanna this August at Pinehurst.
The 44-year-old is no stranger to the U.S. Amateur Championship, qualifying once before in 1986. He currently coaches golf for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford but claims to be an avid Penn State fan.
The weather may have affected Stauffer more than other player on the course as stamina was clearly not one of his strong suits compared to his youthful competition.
"These kids are tough out here. They're used to playing 36 holes a day. This is the only time this year I played 36 holes in a day so it's a lot tougher," Stauffer said.
"I have to work on my stamina throughout the year and try to stay in shape."
