‘J-Ro’ learns lesson from breakdown at Wegmans LPGA

Manila Philippines — If it were a 36-hole tournament, she would have gotten her first victory or at the least a top three finish in the 2009 season of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). But fact was the recent Wegman’s LPGA event in Pittsford, New York was played in 72. That about summed up the latest struggle of Filipina journeywoman Jennifer Rosales as she missed on a golden opportunity to hit paydirt. Sure, it was not meant to be for the 30-year-old superstar golfer. Though the way she handled herself at the Wegmans — high competition and weather delays and all— was a dangerous sign for her fellow LPGA campaigners. She showed a lot of spunk in the opening rounds with two under-par scores, a breakthrough since she has not been so efficient the last few months. Last week, though, vintage Rosales emerged once more in the LGPA. She bombed long range drives, executed crisp fairways shots, and made incredible chip-ins and putts as well. But then again, all told, we’ll go back to the beginning of the story, which was the Wegmans not being a 36-hole tournament. Still, Rosales remained jovial and upbeat of the outcome. She just needs a little push to do better in the last 36 holes. She needs that extra step to be at par with the world’s greatest golfers. She even had the guts (and jest) to borrow a line from a Jim Carrey flick called Bruce Almighty: “That’s how the cookie crumbles." “I really crumbled in New York big time. Once, I was a sturdy chocolate cookie. Then all of a sudden, little by little, I began to fall into bits until all of me was already consumed. The minute I cracked, I became a pile of a 1,000 jigsaw puzzle pieces. And by the time I realized it, it was too late to put it all together," explained a rather disappointed Rosales. Looking back in Day 3, she noticed a sharp decline on her strokes around the green which led to a more dismal putting display. She was not as crisp and deliberate as she used to. In short, Rosales, who holds a record five consecutive crowns in the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open, needs to be consistent for 72 holes or depending on the length of the event. “Consistency is key, from the range to the course, from the tees to the greens. I cannot just play half-heartedly in any of the LPGA event. It has to be 100 percent at all times and at all days. Otherwise, players will just fly by me for the rest of the season," said Rosales as she prepares for the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio. Before the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, she is going to spend more time on the range, maybe call swing Bong Lopez for a little tune-up and then be ready to go to battle. For now, with a brief break on the horizon, Rosales plans to relax and be with her family. After all, she won a handsome pay of more than $13,700 (approximately P660,000). - GMANews.TV