Butler's DeCola fires 72 to claim Division I crown
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Butler senior Marissa DeCola shot an even-par 72 to win the WPIAL Division I girls championship Tuesday at Longue Vue Country Club. Emily Rohanna of Waynesburg claimed her second Division II championship Tuesday.
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Heading into the WPIAL girls individual golf championship, Marissa DeCola knew she had to stay in the fairway to have a shot at the title.
The Butler senior hit all of them Tuesday at Longue Vue Country Club and finished with an even-par 72 to win her first WPIAL Division I title.
"I just hit fairways," DeCola said, "which was definitely a plus because the rough is very, very thick."
Playing on a rain-soaked course, DeCola birdied on the par-5 18th to finish 1 under on the back nine.
Waynesburg senior Emily Rohanna claimed her second consecutive Division II championship, shooting 79.
DeCola, Rohanna and the next 10 highest finishers qualified for the PIAA Western Regional tournament Oct. 18 at Tom's Run Golf Course in Blairsville.
DeCola's round started off a bit up-and-down. She birdied the second hole, but bogeyed the third and double-bogeyed the par-5 fourth. After another bogey on the par-4 sixth, DeCola birdied Nos. 7 and 8 to finish the front nine at 1 over.
"I knew those were the birdie holes on the course, so I knew I had to take advantage of them and just knock it close, and I did," said DeCola, who will attend Indiana University next year.
After making par on every hole on the back nine, DeCola stepped up to the 18th just hoping to continue her steady play, but ended up finishing with a flourish.
"I just wanted to finish with a par, but I'll take a birdie," she said.
Rohanna claimed her second title behind a steady, consistent approach, focusing mostly on avoiding any disastrous holes.
"Bogeys were OK, I'd make them up with birdies, hopefully," Rohanna said. "Just no doubles."
She finished with eight bogeys and one birdie and no double-bogeys.
Eighteen holes weren't enough to decide the 12 qualifiers for the PIAA regionals. At the end of the round, Upper St. Clair senior Danielle Von Waldow and Shady Side Academy junior Shannon Gramley were tied for 12th with 87s.
In a sudden-death playoff starting on the 17th, Von Waldow hit a nice shot out of a greenside bunker to card a bogey and finish one stroke ahead of Gramley. She said it was bittersweet, though, because Gramley and her are close friends.
"I felt bad, but I was rooting for her and rooting for myself so it was a tough position to be in," Von Waldow said.
Last year's winner, Fox Chapel senior Katerina Luttner, finished second with a 75.
DeCola's win marks the first time since 2007 a Luttner did not win the event. Luttner's older sister, Nadia, claimed the title in 2008 and '09.
First Published October 5, 2011 12:00 am
