ROGERS -- Reilley Rankin had to sit around and wait out a rain delay for almost two hours in the midst of Monday's qualifying tournament for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Her performance in less-than-stellar conditions ensured she gets to hang around Pinnacle Country Club a few extra days.
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Pinnacle Country Club • Par: 71
Qualifying Tournament
Player^Score
Reilley Rankin^70*
Ariya Jutanugarn^70*
Anya Alvarez^73
Amber Hensley^73
Jordan Rose^75
Hanna Kang^75
Summar Roachell^75
Emily Collins^75
Jade Staggs^75
Regina Plasencia^77
Kris Tamulis^78
Alex Stewart^79
Catherine Matranga^79
Jenna Pearson^79* Qualifier
Rankin overcame the long rain delay and the wet conditions that resulted from an afternoon of showers to shoot a 1-under par 70 and nab one of two qualifier spots into the tournament.
"I played worse after (the delay)," Rankin said. "I just tried to stay patient and look at it as a challenge. I like challenges."
Ariya Jutanugarn also shot a 70 to claim her spot in the tournament field. Jutanugarn and Rankin successfully combated the weather to best the other 12 golfers in the qualifying field.
"I gave myself some decent opportunities and made a few," Rankin said. "Had a few hiccups on the (back) side but hung in there."
University of Arkansas golfers Summar Roachell and Regina Plasencia were part of the qualifying field. Roachell, a UA rising sophomore and Conway native, shot a 4-over par 75, tying for fifth in the 14-person field and falling a few strokes short in her third attempt to qualify for the tournament as an amateur.
"I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be here and play in such an awesome event here in our back yard," Roachell said. "This is my third time to play this, and I can really tell that my game has grown in the three years that I've played here, just having the experience."
Plasencia, a rising junior and all-Southeastern Conference selection, shot a 77 and finished 10th.
She played one group behind Roachell and finished with a crowd that included Roachell and Razorbacks coach Shauna Estes-Taylor looking on. The two teammates shared an emotional, teary-eyed embrace next to the ninth green after Plasencia finished her round.
"Of course I wanted it," Plasencia said. "It hurts more because I knew I could make it. I didn't hit it solid enough. And the birdie opportunities that I had were kind of far away, so I can't really hold it on my putter. Because I hit good putts. It's just that sometimes they don't go in when you hit a good a good putt."
Sports on 06/24/2014