AUGUSTA, Ga. — Almost exactly a year ago, Stanford University superstar Rose Zhang was making history as the fourth winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, hoisting a trophy on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club after outlasting Jenny Bae in a playoff to become arguably the most popular champion in the event’s young history.
Now, Zhang is vying for an LPGA Tour title at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards in Las Vegas, working to capture her second career LPGA Tour victory and first since she won as a non-member last June at the Mizuho Americas Open this week at Shadow Creek.
But even though she’s locked in on securing one of the top-eight spots in the match-play portion of the competition after Friday play, the 20-year-old has definitely been keeping an eye on the leaderboard in Augusta, Ga., flicking on the TV to catch the coverage when she can and rooting on her friends and former teammates as they write another chapter of women’s golf history at Augusta National Golf Club.
“It's only been a year ago, but it honestly feels like quite a while,” said Zhang. “It's really nostalgic to think back and know that I was able to play the Augusta National Women's Amateur four times. And now it's not on my schedule anymore, so it does sting a little bit. But I'm rooting for a lot of my teammates and friends out there. I'm really excited to watch the replays.”
Zhang’s ANWA victory propelled her on to a stellar 2023 season, both as an amateur and as a professional on the LPGA Tour. She captured the individual title at the Pac-12 Conference Championship, won again at the NCAA Pullman Regional and then successfully defended her NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship individual title at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., becoming the first woman in NCAA history to win two national championships and setting the record for most individual victories at Stanford.
Zhang turned professional not long after, electing to make her pro debut at the Mizuho Americas Open, hosted by her fellow Stanford Cardinal and mentor Michelle Wie West. And in what could only be described as a fairytale ending, it was ultimately Zhang who emerged victorious at Liberty National Golf Club, outlasting Jennifer Kupcho – who ironically was the first Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion – in a two-hole playoff to become the first person since Beverly Hanson in 1951 to win in their first start as a professional on the LPGA Tour.
The California native then accepted the immediate LPGA Tour membership customarily offered to non-member winners, making her a 2023 LPGA Tour rookie, and Zhang further wowed golf fans in her inaugural campaign as a Tour member. After her win in New Jersey, Zhang went on to finish in the top 10 in three major championships, tying for eighth at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, tying for ninth at the U.S. Women’s Open and tying for ninth at The Amundi Evian Championship. She has earned two additional top-10 finishes to date on the LPGA Tour, tying for third at the 2023 Maybank Championship and tying for seventh at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
She took a break from competitive golf to focus on her studies at Stanford for a while, and this week’s T-Mobile Match Play is just her third time competing since her educational sabbatical. It hasn’t been the smoothest of returns to the LPGA Tour as Zhang finished in a tie for 22nd at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship in her first start back and then missed the cut at the Ford Championship presented by KCC last week in Arizona. But despite the difficulties, she’s kept her head and battled through the missteps to find herself at the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes of stroke play left before the chaos of match play ensues at Shadow Creek.
And no matter what ultimately happens, if she moves on or goes home, wins or loses at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, Zhang will still be looking forward to watching her pals tee it up at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday as a new Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion is welcomed into her esteemed sisterhood.
“It's always a good time to watch Augusta just back-to-back weeks with the Women's Amateur and (The Masters),” said Zhang. “It was always something that I looked forward to yearly. I played it four times, and being in that environment with that many people watching, it's a testament to the growth of the women's game, and I was honored to be a part of it.
“Being able to be under pressure and be the favorite, but also being able to get it done really meant so much, and it showed that the resilience was there, the grind was there, and gave me a lot of confidence going forward to be able to do what I can to be the best.”
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