Quadruple bogey dooms first-round co-leader Emily Penttilä

Golf is considered a slow-moving sport.

However, a big number on a scorecard can happen fast, especially at Sara Bay Country Club.

On Saturday at the southern Manatee County course, it happened to Emily Penttilä.

A first-round co-leader, Penttilä was humming along at 5-under for the tournament when she approached the par-5 seventh hole.

Her tee shot went left, a slight open-faced second shot headed right, and disaster soon followed.

Resting on some sand next to a tree root, Penttilä stood 80 yards from the green and just 40 yards from the creek that runs in front of the green.

Penttilä chunked the third into the drink, left the next one short, chipped on and two-putted for a nine.

The quadruple bogey sent her down the leaderboard.

“(Stuff) happens,” Penttilä said. “You execute a bad shot and that happens. I guess I lost a little bit of confidence, got a little bit out of my rhythm and just ... if you’re not 100 percent focused and 100 percent there, (the course) is going to punish you. I think that just showed it really well.”

After the quad, Penttilä posted five bogeys and one birdie to finish with a 77. She’s tied for 10th place at 3-over par.

Putts will fall for the patient

Sara Bay’s difficulty level is a known quantity for LPGA Symetra Tour players. So staying patient is the key to success at the Donald Ross-designed track.

“You have to be patient out here,” Portland Rosen said.

Rosen executed that approach. Playing alongside Benyapa Niphatsophon, who posted a 67 to grab the lead after two rounds, Rosen watched birdies fall at a regular clip.

Then on the 12th hole, Rosen voiced her excitement after getting one to drop for herself.

“Oh, my God, yes,” Rosen exclaimed.

That birdie set off a closing stretch of three consecutive birdies to end the round.

“I just had in my mind, ‘I need to make birdies,’ ” Rosen said.

As a result, Rosen made the cut by two shots after a 1-under-par 71 that included a 3-under 33 on the back nine.

It’s the first time Rosen is playing the final round at Sara Bay; she missed the cut in 2016.

Odds and ends

▪ Venice High School alumnus Casey Kennedy leads area players after a second-round 70. She’s tied for 10th place at 3-over par.

▪ No player in Sunday’s final five groups has won on the LPGA Symetra Tour. Kristy McPherson, who is nine shots back at 4-over par, is the closest player to the lead with prior victories (two) on the Symetra Tour. That means it’s likely a fourth first-time winner will get this season crowned when Sunday’s round concludes.

▪ Lili Alvarez was disqualified after failing to sign her scorecard. She posted an 83 in Friday’s first round.

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Quadruple bogey dooms first-round co-leader Emily Penttilä."