With a playing resume that is, in the words of NBC Sports’ Gary Koch, “Better than most,” Rachel Rohanna Virgili is going to try her hand at coaching.
The LPGA touring pro, who starred at Ohio State and Waynesburg High School, was named head women’s golf coach at Waynesburg University.
“I never had plans on coaching golf at the collegiate level; however, it was something that I thought I might enjoy if the opportunity presented itself,” Rohanna Virgili said in a news release. “It was definitely unexpected but sounded like a neat opportunity to help promote the women’s golf program.”
An eight-year touring pro, the Waynesburg native has played in 41 LPGA events, including the U.S. Women’s Open three times, and made the cut 10 times. She also played in the KPMG Championship, another LPGA major.
Before rising to the LPGA, Rohanna Virgili appeared in 88 Symetra Tour events and made 66 cuts. She won the 2017 Symetra Tour Championship. The medalist of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur, she won two Frank Fuhrer III Collegiate Player of the Year Awards while playing at Ohio State. A two-time All-Big Ten first-teamer, she won two college tournaments and qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships.
“Being a former college athlete and currently competing as a professional athlete, I’m very passionate about sports and specifically women’s golf,” she said. “I love being an advocate for the game and I love the challenge of helping others improve their game. I’m looking forward to the relationships I will be making with the players and staff and hope I can make somewhat of an impact while coaching at Waynesburg.”
In high school, Rohanna was the top player on the boys team and won both WPIAL and PIAA championships in 2005 and ‘07.
She made the cut at the 2012 West Penn Open, becoming the first woman to do so. Rohanna Virgili now lives in Marianna, Washington County.
