As hype grows for LPGA star Rose Zhang, she focuses on her game

IT’S BEEN LESS than one month since Rose Zhang turned professional.

And this week, she tees it up in her first main as knowledgeable on the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Membership in Springfield, New Jersey. Zhang might be among the many 156 ladies golfers competing for the most important title and $10 million purse.

Because the 20-year-old prepares for the one main she hasn’t competed in as an novice, she faces stress and expectations to make historical past once more at a storied venue.

On Might 26, the Stanford sophomore introduced through Instagram that she was “formally turning skilled.” The publish got here simply days after she gained back-to-back NCAA particular person titles, marking her twelfth win in her twentieth collegiate profession occasion, breaking the earlier college report held by Tiger Woods (26 occasions), Maverick McNealy (45 occasions) and Patrick Rodgers (35 occasions), amongst others.

Her skilled debut on the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty Nationwide Golf Membership in Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, in early June, Zhang competed in a playoff in opposition to main winner Jennifer Kupcho and claimed her first professional victory. The victory made Zhang the primary lady to win knowledgeable golf event on her first strive in 72 years, since Beverly Hanson’s debut win in 1951. Zhang gained speedy membership on the LPGA Tour, along with the $412,500 purse at Liberty and eligibility to compete within the Solheim Cup in September.

“It was loopy,” Zhang says to ESPN. “And it was all a blur. Nevertheless it was so particular to me.”

This week on the KPMG, Zhang will compete for a title held by a few of the biggest names in ladies’s golf — corresponding to Mickey Wright, Nancy Lopez, July Inkster, Annika Sorenstam and Inbee Parkto call a number of. There might be 10 previous champions, together with LPGA stars Nelly Korda and Danielle Kang. And regardless of the star energy in attendance, all eyes are on Zhang.

“This 12 months, we have had lots of actually good golfers,” Korda mentioned throughout a pre-tournament information convention. “Rose is one-for-one, so she’s fairly good.”

“… It is superb to see that she gained her first week out as knowledgeable. I believe it’ll be actually good for girls’s golf. Hopefully, we’ve some nice battles coming down the stretch over time.”

Zhang understands the expectations placed on her title. She feels answerable for rising the sport and provoking the subsequent era. She additionally is aware of questions like “Will the rise of Zhang decide the rise of girls’s golf?” linger round her. However finally, she needs to give attention to her recreation and keep affected person.

“That is how folks work. In the event you’re taking part in nicely, and you have developed a platform, folks count on way more out of you, and I acknowledge that,” provides Zhang. “I believe that is the very first thing for me, simply to have the ability to deal with it the way in which I’m. And the folks round me, like my household and associates, [to] preserve me actually grounded.”

WHEN NO. 1 SEED Stanford ladies’s golf fell to No. 5 College of Southern California within the NCAA semifinals simply someday after Zhang’s second individual-title win at Grayhawk Nation Membership in late Might, she had combined feelings. After taking part in 36 holes within the practically 100-degree desert warmth, she felt fatigued — like she was sleeping on the course. “It was onerous to get myself into the match-play mindset and totally execute my recreation,” Zhang says. “I additionally knew it was my final occasion ever.”

Throughout NCAA championship week, Zhang and her teammates made the many of the expertise. The Cardinals knew that Zhang’s professional resolution was imminent. She knowledgeable her squad and coaches earlier than the event that she could be turning professional after their run at Grayhawk. The group and coaches did not enable it to distract play. They urged one another to struggle more durable. As soon as the final putt dropped through the semifinals, they gathered round Zhang and hugged her — they knew it was the tip. The next day, Wake Forest won the NCAA women’s golf title, defeating USC.

The times between claiming her back-to-back particular person titles and asserting her professional resolution have been jam-packed with obligations and pressure-filled main life selections. She thought: How would she make her announcement? The place would she make her announcement? What would her skilled schedule seem like whereas ending her sophomore 12 months at Stanford?

Since her sophomore 12 months of highschool, whispers about her turning skilled swirled round her. When she dedicated to play for Stanford, in accordance with Zhang, folks mentioned issues like: “There is not any method she’s coming into the gates of Stanford. She’s positively turning skilled.” Zhang’s household trusted her resolution to pursue an training at Stanford and be a part of the ladies’s golf group. In return, Zhang knew she was making the correct resolution, and that she would sharpen her golf expertise with the Cardinal group.

As an novice, Zhang grew to become a family title within the golf world. Spending 141 weeks because the No. 1-ranked novice on the planet — most of any participant ever — Zhang claimed along with the 2 NCAA championship particular person titles, back-to-back Annika Awards and the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur title. Her novice accomplishments embody being the 2021 U.S. Ladies’ Junior Champion and 2020 U.S. Ladies’s Novice Champion. Moreover, forward of her professional debut, Zhang signed offers with Adidas, Beats by Dre, Callaway and Delta Air Traces.

She knew it could occur when she was prepared. Not when her mother and father, coaches, sponsors, or anybody else needed her to change into skilled. “My resolution relied on what I needed,” Zhang says. “I had no doubts. I at all times thought, ‘If I do not play nicely in school, it simply means I am not adequate for the skilled degree.'”

To Zhang, she completed all she may in school. And that is when she knew it was time to go professional.

ON JUNE 4Zhang discovered herself able she had by no means skilled. Over time, she has change into comfy with chasing first place and getting back from behind to say titles. However that Sunday, the ultimate day of the Mizuho Americas Open, Zhang bogeyed the final gap and ready herself for a playoff in opposition to Kupcho. She had been in playoffs earlier than, however she’d by no means been in a playoff as knowledgeable — however, a playoff to win her skilled debut.

Because the first tee shot of her skilled debut, the golf world held its breath and watched from afar. Questions lingered round Zhang once more: “Will she win in her skilled debut?” and “Will she stay as much as the hype?” The chatter and questions solely heightened as Zhang and Kupcho rode again to the 18th tee to begin the playoff. “Would historical past be made in the present day?”

After Zhang and Kupcho tied the primary playoff gap, they returned to the tee field. Zhang appeared unfazed and able to end what she had began. Dozens of followers, a few of whom known as themselves the “Rosebuds,” lined up across the fairway and inexperienced to witness historical past. “That was essentially the most assist that I’ve gained out of any occasion that I’ve ever performed in,” Zhang says. “It was really unimaginable. Gave me chills up till the tip.”

Hitting a 4-hybrid from the green, Zhang landed her second shot lower than seven toes from the pin. “Among the finest photographs I’ve ever hit,” Zhang provides. Kupcho three-putted, opening the door for Zhang. Two putts later, Zhang gained.

A bouquet of roses discovered its solution to Zhang’s arms. Michelle Wie Westthe host of the event and certainly one of Zhang’s mentors, embraced Zhang in a decent hug.

“I used to be simply so proud,” Wie West says to ESPN. “What I used to be most impressed with was that on Sunday [at Mizuho]she was not her finest. She didn’t play her finest on Sunday. However what’s so superb with this win is that she holds on. In skilled golf, you are not going to play your finest each single time. You are not going to play your finest greater than half the time. She reveals up when she must. She held on and believed in herself. That is what I used to be most impressed with from Rose.”

After her congratulatory handshakes and hugs, Zhang’s associates flooded the inexperienced to have a good time her victory. For the subsequent few hours, Zhang signed autographs, posed for pictures and responded to media requests.

Throughout her media duties, Zhang acquired a public message from Woods through Twitter. “Unimaginable few weeks for Rose Zhang, defends her NCAA title after which wins in her Professional debut. Go card!” Woods tweeted.

The comparisons to former Stanford Cardinal gamers and prodigies Wie West and Woods have not stopped for Zhang. The hype and publicity have solely amplified. And all eyes stay on her.

“There is a huge burden on Rose proper now, and I believe on a private degree, I believe it is simply good simply to let her play and preserve doing the issues she’s doing,” Wie West says. “You need to give Rose grace. Golf is a very onerous recreation. She’s going to maintain defying odds, however on the similar time, she’s human. She is going to make errors. She will not win the whole lot. And that is fully OK.”

In anticipation of her first main as knowledgeable on the KPMG on Thursday, Zhang needs the golf world to offer her grace. Zhang needs to remind herself to be affected person and to decelerate — something to handle the stress to stay as much as her recording-breaking historical past and to uplift the ladies’s recreation.

“I might emphasize that generally it is vital to be affected person with even your favourite gamers. Tiger Woods has accomplished the unthinkable. Michelle Wie West had lots of expectations,” Zhang says. “We’re all human, and everybody has their highs and lows. Some extra highs than lows within the highlight. However I’ll say, simply be affected person. I am making an attempt to be affected person with myself as nicely.”

She provides, “I am nonetheless studying the ropes; that is my first 12 months. I don’t know what is going on to occur.”