More with Spalding golfer Kaitlyn Rohrback
In talking with Archbishop Spalding golfer Kaitlyn Rohrback earlier this week, the senior had so many interesting things to say that not everything would fit into the print version of Thursday's Q&A, so here is a little more with the Tennessee-bound Rohrback, who won this spring's MIAA golf tournament over 98 other players -- 97 of them boys.
Question: How did you get started playing golf?
Answer: When we moved into this house, which the golf course is right there (points out her kitchen window), my dad started playing again, because he hadn’t played in a while. Then I took it up and I really liked it and I was pretty good at it, so I just continued with it
Q: When did you get serious about it?
A: When I was about 10, because I quit gymnastics which I did pretty intensely and I really focused on golf and started playing in tournaments.
Q: What did you like about it?
A: It’s different from all other sports because you don’t have a team and you don’t have a coach telling you when to be at practice. You do it all on your own time, so it’s just very independent, but then you meet a lot of good people and you make friends that are going to last a while. It’s by yourself but it’s not by yourself.
Q: When did you start gymnastics?
A: When I was really, really little, like 5. I did tumbling classes when I was really little. I was decent at gymnastics and I liked it and I had a lot of friends who did it. Then it got too much and it was a lot of practice and I liked golf a lot better.
Q: When you get out on the course what is it that you like about the game itself?
A: I like being outside a lot. It’s really peaceful. It’s not a crazy, yelling sport. You have a lot of time to think in between shots and really plan what you’re going to do. There’s so many things you can do with a golf ball. It’s not just the same shot over and over.
Q: Are your Spalding teammates supportive?
A: Yes.
Q: Were you always accepted in to the Spalding team?
A: Yes, I think so just because my freshman year I played No. 3. It was kind of known that I was going to be on that team a while, so there was no point in trying to make me not feel welcome.
Q: What about the guys you’ve played against?
A: Nobody’s mean to me. Nobody’s just blatantly rude, but I can tell that they don’t want to play me. They just don’t want to lose to a girl, because it kills their ego.
Q: Did you feel you had a good chance to win the MIAA championship?
A: For the past couple years, I’ve always thought I had a good chance, but I just played awful, so I wasn’t setting my expectations too high, because that’s what I’ve done the past two years and I’ve played awful the first round, haven’t make the cut, so I went into it just trying to play it one shot at a time and I played really, really well the first day. Then the second day, I was tied for the lead with two other people. One of them was a Spalding player, Alex Eaker. It was better than years past because they were chasing me and I wasn’t trying to fight back and pick up shots. I could play very conservatively. I didn’t have to just make birdies, I just had to get on the green and two-putt and just keep making pars.
Q: Why did you choose Tennessee?
A: They have awesome practice facilities and their coaches are really great. I just like the school. Knoxville’s a really good place. It’s a big school which I wanted and it’s south and their golf team is really, really good. They’re at the national golf championships right now. I visited and I knew I wanted to go there.
Q: What other schools did you look at?
A: I didn’t really have a top five. I looked at a lot of SEC schools.
Q: What are you trying to improve about your game? What are you going to work on most this summer?
A: I need to get a little bit more distance and then improve my iron play, my second shot to get them closer to the pin, so I can make some more birdies.
Q: What are you going to do this summer?
A: I have some tournaments. Not as many as I have the past few summers, because I don’t want to be burned out come fall when I’m playing for college. I’m going to play one AJGA, and then some Maryland state events and then my USGA qualifiers.
Q: Any vacation?
A: We might go to Myrtle Beach. We have a condo in Myrtle Beach, so hopefully we’ll go down there at least once. And the AJGA tournament is kind of turning into a vacation because it’s in Hilton Head, which is gorgeous place.
Q: Has your dad (Brian Rohrback) been your biggest fan?
A: Yeah. He’s done everything. He’s carted me around the entire country and taken me to every golf tournament I’ve wanted to go to. He’s been great. I couldn’t have done any of this without him.
Q: What’s the biggest event you’ve ever won?
A: I won two AJGA events, so probably one of those. One was last summer and one was the summer before that and I tied for first in another one and lost in the playoff.
Q: Did you qualify for the US Amateur?
A: I did.
Q: Did you play in that?
A: I did. I missed the cut by two strokes. I think. It was a good experience. It got me playing a lot better I think, gave me some confidence that I can play well.
Q: Are you superstitious?
A: I have lucky charms and stuff. I have a ball marker that I like to use. I think it’s lucky.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I go hunting and fishing with my dad, more hunting that fishing.
Q: What do you hunt?
A: Waterfowl, geese and ducks. We go hunting on the Eastern Shore.
Q: Are you as good a shot with a gun as you are with a golf club?
A: No, not at all. I am not good (laughs), but I like it. I like being outside.





