All eyes on 20-year-old superstar Rose Zhang ahead of US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach
Rose Zhang set the women’s track record at Pebble Beach and almost no one noticed except her local caddy, Stanford teammates and college golf enthusiasts.
Ten months later, Zhang walked to the 17th green at Pebble Beach with three amateurs in the US Women’s Open and heads turned to watch.
And not just headlines.
To her left sat about three dozen US Women’s Open champions who had posed for a group photo, several of them in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Had it been someone else, the laughter and chatter might have continued. Zhang made sure they at least looked her way.
That’s what 20-year-old Zhang brings to this historic Women’s Open, and perhaps the LPGA Tour. Two tournaments into her professional career, she now faces the toughest test in women’s golf, and she’s already being talked about as much as anyone at Pebble Beach.
LOOK | Zhang wins 1st tournament as a pro:
Rose Zhang defeated compatriot Jennifer Kupcho on the second playoff hole to capture the LPGA’s Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey on Sunday.
Michelle Wie West was in that group. She has become so close to Zhang that someone suggested that the former prodigy had become Zhang’s mentor.
“She doesn’t need mentors. She’s got it,” Wie West said. “She’s incredibly poised and has that inner confidence, that inner quiet confidence in her that’s just so incredible, and she’s a real competitor. I’m super excited about all the things she’s already accomplished in her few weeks as a pro, and very excited to see what’s in store for her in the future.”
Who West knows what it’s like to walk into a room, or walk across the putting green, and everyone notices. She was 14 when she shot 68 in the Sony Open and missed the cut by one shot. She competed in LPGA majors before she was old enough to drive. There was an element of jealousy from the business deals and media coverage that came her way.
And then she turned pro and beat a strong field at Liberty National in her first start.
This may all be a lot to digest for someone who was still cleaning a dorm room at Stanford a little over a month ago. Zhang seems to be different in so many ways.
“The past month has been really crazy, hectic, but I’ve loved every moment of it,” she said Tuesday. “There’s a lot more attention, a lot more media, but that’s expected when you do well and when you’re the rookie trying to get out here and play the best you can. So I’ve got everything in my stride.”
Tough test at Pebble Beach
She is among the favorites for the US Women’s Open, held at Pebble Beach for the first time and with a primetime finish on the East Coast.
The transition from amateur to professional was aided by the new name, image and likeness policy, which allowed her to build relationships and close deals before taking the professional plunge. She kept expectations to a minimum. And then she performed at a level that took them higher.
Zhang followed that win at the Mizuho Americas Open by coming within one shot of leading at the Women’s PGA Championship in Baltusrol before finishing tied for eighth.
The US Women’s Open is the next big test for Zhang and everyone else. The greens are already firm, even with a sea layer that keeps the sun off the ground for two days.
Pebble Beach is legendary among US Open courses and the most recognizable in America outside of Augusta National. It produced big moments like Tom Watson’s chip-in in 1982, Jack Nicklaus hitting the pin on the 17th with a 1 iron, Tiger Woods winning by 15 shots in 2000.
Someone has a chance to carve another piece of history.
LOOK | Yin Ruoning wins Women’s PGA Championship:
China’s Ruoning Yin captured the Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday, becoming the second Chinese player to win an LPGA major after a final round finish of 4-under 67 to finish 8-under.
Canada’s Henderson in star-studded group
Jin Young Ko, who last week broke the record for most weeks at No. 1 in the women’s world rankings, was so excited to play at Pebble Beach that she arrived last week. She hasn’t won a major since 2019 and is longing for another one. The same goes for Lydia Ko, who finished at number 1 last year and is off to a slow start by her standards.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., will be looking for her third career major win as she plays in a featured group with Zhang and Lydia Ko on Thursday and Friday.
Three other Canadians in the field are Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Lauren Kim of Surrey, BC, and Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que.
Zhang knows Pebble from the Carmel Cup, a college event last September, when she shot a 63 in the second round to break Brittany Lincicome’s women’s course record. That brought Zhang and the cardinal to another victory.
As for that 63? She calls it a blur and said she was on autopilot, and there’s a reason for that. Turns out her caddy kept stats, and it wasn’t until later that Zhang realized she hit all 18 greens within the rules.
“Now that I remember, I didn’t take out a wedge,” Zhang said with a laugh.
That comes in handy at Pebble Beach, known for its small greens with slopes that can range from subtle to severe. The rough is thick enough to cause problems. There is wind in the forecast. Expect everything this week, a motto that has served Zhang well so far.
