By BRENDAN McGAIR
Sports writer
EAST PROVIDENCE – In golfspeak, Day 3 of a tournament is commonly referenced as “moving day.” If a player is to place himself in a favorable position heading into the final 18 holes, he best adhere to the notion and make a “move” on this day.
For Robert Rohanna, his press to move into contention at the Northeast Amateur came late. More specifically, on holes 13-18, where the Penn State graduate amassed three birdies and a par-saving putt on 14, all of which propelled him to a round of four-under 65. Rohanna’s strong finish – which was capped off in a grand style with a 20-foot putt on 18 for birdie – vaulted the 22-year-old into this afternoon’s final group at Wannamoisett Country Club.

“It was dead straight and didn’t move an inch,” said Rohanna. “That was probably the easiest long putt I’ve ever had here.”
Rohanna will be paired with Adam Long, the Duke senior who distinguished himself by setting a 36-hole Northeast record of 131. Long’s lead is of the slimmest kind, just one stroke better than Rohanna, whose three-day total is 199, 8-under-par.
A fist pump was Rohanna’s way of celebrating the ball dance accordingly on 18. He walked off the green up a stroke on Long, who was attempting to recover from a bogey on 16. The perfect cure: consecutive birdies that featured a less dramatic, though just as important, nine-foot putt on the finishing hole. That brought Long’s three-day score to nine-under.
Why should that enviously low figure ring a bell? It was the record-setting score defending champ Brandan Gielow turned in just last year.
Rohanna and Long teed off within 30 minutes of one another. That was at 1 p.m., a point in the day when rain became something else for the contestants to consider when selecting clubs.
“We got our drives off at 1, then it started raining. It began intensifying as myself and (round partner Matt Savage) hit our second shots,” explained Rohanna, sounding a little like Al Roker did at last weekend’s U.S. Open. “It was intermittent from that point and rained until we got to 7.”
Rohanna dodged enough rain drops to shoot 34 on the front, the only negative coming on 9 when he three-putted. Long also achieved the same par-saving score through nine holes, the third straight day he had done so.
“If you can get to par or one-under on the front, that’s a bonus,” said Long. “Personally I was satisfied with nine pars.”
A birdie on 13, which was preceded by three consecutive pars, was Rohanna’s way of warming up. Then came hole No. 14, which had the making of being a round-changer, one not in a good way.
“I’m a 100 yards away, staring it down with my wedge. (The second shot) ends up five yards short of the green before spinning back 10,” explained Rohanna. “The chip (the third shot) was tough.”
Then came a bit of good fortune, something all golfers need from time-to-time in order to compete for a title. Putting from just off the green, Rohanna saved himself with a four.
“That helped, that definitely made [the remainder of the round] better,” said a grinning Rohanna.
Momentum proved contagious. On the 196-yard par-3 15th, Rohanna choked up on a five-iron to within four feet of the cup. The easy birdie conversion was part of his philosophy when it comes to solving the breaks of Wannamoisett’s greens.
“Lag putts aren’t easy on this course,” said Rohanna. “You have to be talented to get shots close.”
Another birdie try presented itself on 16, but Rohanna left a 10-footer just shy. “It was an easy putt, I just didn’t hit it well. It was my fault.”
Rohanna tamed No. 17, a 558-yard mammoth, with two lengthy shots that placed him within a lob wedge of the green. The short game was tested again after airing his third shot just over the green. Rohanna responded by chipping and putting his way to par (five).
Rohanna, who counted just two missed fairways on the day, shot 31 on the back nine. Not too shabby for someone who’s been missing the competitive limelight. Last spring saw Rohanna, on a five-year plan, run out of collegiate eligibility.
“I got a lot later start than I normally do,” said Rohanna, mentioning he student taught this spring. “I got out in March when we had a couple of nice days, but was about it.”
Asked how he would combat the pressure that goes with teeing off in the final group on the final day, Rohanna just smiled. He planned to release some tension by participating in Friday’s long-drive contest.
Long was also asked to weigh in with his night-before plans. “Just stay up late, have a late dinner, sleep in as late as a can. I’m not going to think about it until I get out here.”
With “moving day” having come and gone, “finishing day” now becomes the main objective of Rohanna and Long.