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The post Freshman phenom Rose Zhang just made a big announcement about her future appeared first on Golf.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — The outlook for the Stanford Women’s golf team just keeps getting better.

A week after winning the program’s second national championship, freshman phenom Rose Zhang announced she will return to school for another season.

Zhang revealed her intention during an appearance on Golf Channel’s Live From the U.S. Women’s Open, and confirmed her plans to GOLF.com a short time later.

“It’s always been the plan — I’ve always wanted to stay at least a couple years before I decide anything,” Zhang told GOLF.com. “Another year won’t hurt anyone. I’m really excited to see and experience more things at Stanford.”

Zhang, who will tee it up in her fourth U.S. Women’s Open this week, won four times during her freshman season for the Cardinal, including the individual title at the NCAA Championship. She fired a four-day total of six under to claim the title by three shots.

The 19-year-old was also a key cog in top-ranked Stanford’s run to the team title as they defeated No. 2 Oregon 3-2 in the championship match. Zhang sank the putt that clinched the title as she defeated Sofie Nielsen in the anchor match.

“The amount of inspiration I get from the people I meet at Stanford is amazing,” Zhang said. “Just being able to have those experiences — one year was not enough. So I’ve got to go back for a second [year].”

Earlier this week, Zhang became the first student-athlete to sign a Name, Image and Likeness deal with apparel company Adidas. She was also the first NIL ambassador for Callaway when she signed a deal with the club manufacturer earlier this year.

“Having NIL in general will allow a lot of athletes to want to stay four years,” Zhang said on Live From.

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The post Bizarre ruling impacts final match of women’s national championship appeared first on Golf.

The post Bizarre ruling impacts final match of women’s national championship appeared first on Golf.

The Rules of Golf, as Dylan Frittelli once accurately stated, remain undefeated, and that became obvious once again Wednesday, this time at the NCAA Tournament. What more could be at stake than the team NCAA title, during the final match on the course? 

Not much. 

But that’s the situation Stanford’s Rose Zhang, the No. 1 amateur in the world, and Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen, her opponent from the University of Oregon, found themselves in Wednesday evening at Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona. 

Stanford had surrendered its early lead, eventually splitting the first four matches on the course, leaving it up to Zhang to close out Kibsgaard Nielsen. Zhang held a 2-up lead on the 17th hole when both players pulled irons from their bags and laid up … into the rough. Zhang’s came to rest about 20 yards ahead of Kibsgaard Nielsen’s.

Gear

What's in Rose Zhang's bag? Take a look at the NCAA champ's gear setup

By: Jonathan Wall

While this may seem harmless, it’s that placement in the rough that leads to our rules debacle. Kibsgaard Nielsen hit her approach, which rolled off the front of the green — hardly a good result — but wasn’t intently watching where she was pulling her push cart. 

As the Golf Channel broadcast came back from the final touches of another match, suddenly there was an issue. “As Nielsen was walking up, she actually ran over [Zhang’s] ball with her push cart, which is no penalty,” said Jim Gallagher, the on-course reporter. “They placed it as well as they could.”

Au contraire!

Unfortunately, in match play, that can be a penalty. Stumbling over any player’s ball is fine, so long as you do it accidentally, while searching for it. Those last four words are crucial: while searching for it. Searching, they were not. 

Zhang was parallel with her ball, but not standing over it, so Kibsgaard Nielsen mistakenly ran over the ball with her cart during a moment when she couldn’t come into contact with it, even accidentally. After Zhang played onto the green, a rules official arrived on the scene to deliver the bad news: a one-stroke penalty.

Rules

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By: Nick Piastowski

With her opponent on the green and needing to win the 17th and 18th holes, Kibsgaard Nielsen was now lying three instead of two, in the same position, and essentially had to hole out from off the green for par to give herself a chance. When her chip settled short of the hole, the match, and the NCAA Championship, were effectively over. Zhang just had to three-putt in order to win the match, and like the Player of the Year she is, only needed two putts to get it done. The Cardinal were champions.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Paige Mackenzie said on the broadcast. “The mistake off the tee, hitting it into the rough, maybe fell asleep at the wheel. It’s one of those where you wonder if maybe mental fatigue was a part of it. Not paying attention to where Rose’s ball ended up. It happens, late in the day, it’s been 95 degrees.” 

And to be most fair, it may not have mattered anyway. Kibsgaard Nielsen had already played short of the green in two, and would have clearly needed a three from her position to extend the match. At the very least, it was once again another lesson of the Rules of Golf. Be careful where you’re pulling that push cart!

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The post Rose Zhang’s world-domination tour continues with NCAA, POY titles appeared first on Golf.

The post Rose Zhang’s world-domination tour continues with NCAA, POY titles appeared first on Golf.

Everything’s coming up … Rose right now, as in Rose Zhang, the best amateur in the world, who won the individual NCAA title Monday and, a day later, was announced the NCAA Player of the Year. 

Zhang’s world domination tour, which we are growing more and more accustomed to, added a stop at Grayhawk Golf Club, in Arizona, when she won the NCAA title by three strokes, becoming the second-straight Stanford freshman to topple the women’s collegiate game. She raced out to a seven-shot lead through three rounds and held on for a smooth win with a 75 on Monday, all while rocking aviator shades.

The No. 1 amateur in the women’s game will only increase her dominant lead in that ranking when the official numbers are adjusted next week. Adding to that prize was Tuesday morning’s official announcement that, yes, all the college coaches, players and media think Zhang is No. 1 as well, honoring her with the Annika Award, named after Annika Sorenstam. Among the perks that come with that distinction: an exemption into the Evian Championship, one of the women’s game’s five majors

Gear

What's in Rose Zhang's bag? Take a look at the NCAA champ's gear setup

By: Jonathan Wall

For a little cherry on top, Zhang’s big week coincided with her birthday. She turned 19 Tuesday. 

“It is safe to say I know every one of these names,” Zhang said of past Annika Award winners, who include the likes of Rachel Heck and Maria Fassi. “Just seeing all of these names and being given this award by the greatest player ever in Annika brings a lot of inspiration to me to keep getting better. Not only is it an award for golf, but it is also for character. Being voted as the winner by my peers and coaches is truly amazing.” 

It is unclear how long Zhang’s college golf career will last, but we know for sure that she will go down as one of the best freshman to ever compete at the collegiate level. Zhang won her first three individual events during the fall season, and amassed an NCAA record 69.68 scoring average during her first year in Palo Alto. 

Up next for Zhang is conquering team golf in the NCAA match play championship, which is Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

If you’d like to learn more about Zhang, No Laying Up recently released a documentary about her and the rest of her Stanford teammates, who are the favorites to win the team NCAA title as well. You can check that out in the video below. 

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The post What’s in Rose Zhang’s bag? Take a look at the NCAA champ’s gear setup appeared first on Golf.

The post What’s in Rose Zhang’s bag? Take a look at the NCAA champ’s gear setup appeared first on Golf.

Rose Zhang has been on a different level this season. The Stanford freshman claimed medalist honors at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship by three shots at Grayhawk Golf Club on Monday for her fourth individual win of the season.

The honors and accolades will continue to pile up for Zhang — who has been No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking since September 2020 — as the season comes to a close. There’s no question Zhang is a special talent, which is exactly why Callaway jumped at the chance to ink the 19-year-old to a NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal in March to play the company’s equipment.

Here’s a look at the Callaway setup Zhang is employing this week in Arizona.

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS (Fujikura Ventus Red 50S shaft), 9 degrees

3-wood: Callaway Rogue ST LS (Fujikura Ventus Red 60R shaft), 13.5 degrees

5-wood: Callaway Rogue ST LS (Fujikura Ventus Red 60R shaft), 18 degrees

Hybrids: Callaway Mavrik (4H, 5H; KBS 75R shafts)

Irons: Callaway Apex 21 (6-PW; Nippon 850R shafts)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws MD5 Raw (50, 54, 58 degrees; True Temper XP95 R300 shafts)

Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K Double Wide

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

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The post 1 year after heartbreak at Augusta National, Rose Zhang readies for another ANWA appeared first on Golf.

The post 1 year after heartbreak at Augusta National, Rose Zhang readies for another ANWA appeared first on Golf.

Rose Zhang’s game is the hottest of any amateur golfer on the planet. The 18-year-old has made the jump from junior golf to collegiate golf seamlessly — winning her first four events as a freshman at Stanford — as she’s climbed to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Now, she’s just looking to keep the momentum rolling.

With both a U.S. Girl’s Junior Amateur trophy and U.S. Women’s Amateur trophy already under her belt, Zhang has amassed some serious hardware. But now she’s got her sights set on the one that got away — the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

In her first start last spring, a disastrous final-round triple-bogey at Amen Corner dashed her chances. Now a year older (and wiser), Zhang returns to Augusta National with hopes of nabbing the biggest title of her young career.

Zephyr Melton: What sticks out most to you about that final round last year at Augusta?

Rose Zhang: That experience really gave me a lot of insight on the kind of player I am and the kind of player that I should aspire to be. It was my first time playing on such a huge stage in contention — and it was at Augusta National! — so that gave me a memory that I’ll always remember. Overall, I have some great memories of that day. There’s no, ‘Oh I’m disappointed in this, or how I finished.’ It’s a great memory.

ZM: Did you ever dream as a kid that you’d be coming down the back nine at Augusta National in contention of a huge tournament?

RZ: Never! I had no idea; never had those expectations. All I wanted to do last year was to make the cut so I could play at Augusta National. (Ed. note: Only the final round of the ANWA is contested at Augusta National. The first two rounds are played at nearby Champions Retreat.) It was just a cherry on top being able to be in that position and be in contention. It was really, really special.

ZM: What is the most difficult thing about Augusta National?

RZ: The most difficult thing about it is the course management. You have to be on the correct tier of the greens. Even if you hit an amazing shot, there’s always a chance of your ball falling into the creek or something. Being able to understand those slopes and execute your shots is so important. And also the putting is quite difficult. You really have to dial in all your skills around the greens.

ZM: What’s some advice you would give to someone going out for the first time to play Augusta National?

RZ: Keep the ball under the hole. You definitely do not want to be above it. And don’t be afraid to play it safe.

ZM: How do you even begin to prep for a course like that?

RZ: It’s all about getting your fundamentals sharp. Chipping and putting and all that is so important. It’s a course that you can’t really prepare for unless you’re on it, I’d say. No matter how much you prepare for it, you’ve still got to go out there and hit the shots.  

ZM: What’s the biggest difference between Rose Zhang now, and Rose Zhang one year ago?

RZ: I have a lot more understanding and insight into the social media aspect of being an elite golfer. Even before I came on at ANWA, I was pretty aware of the attention I was getting, but I was pretty new to everything. Now, I’m more use to it, and I think I’ve adjusted well to it.

ZM: What did you learn about yourself after how you played— and finished — last year? (Ed. Note: Zhang triple-bogeyed the par-5 13^th hole during her final-round 75 in 2021. She finished the event T3 — one stroke out of a playoff.)

RZ: I just learned how to control myself on the golf course. On 13, when I hit the shot in the water, I was so in the moment, but I lost that control in me and I just wanted to go for it — and that didn’t go well. *laughs* Being able to step back a little bit on and reflect on that mistake was a very valuable lesson. I learned that your composure after something bad happens is important. Maintaining your composure is the main thing for playing well in general.

ZM: I know you bounced back after that triple on 13 with a birdie on 14. How were you able to calm your mind and make a huge bounce-back birdie?

RZ: I just took a moment to breathe. I took a moment to just focus on the next shot and tell myself to get it in the fairway and then go from there. After the disaster on 13, I stepped to 14 tee and just said, ‘Ok. New hole. Hit the ball, and we’ll go from there.’ I didn’t really think of bouncing back, it just so happened that I did.

ZM: Last question. How much would it mean to get a win at Augusta National?

RZ: I mean, it would be absolutely amazing! This is probably the No. 1-ranked amateur event for the women’s game, along with the U.S. Am. But this event is just so special with the venue. Just playing in [the ANWA] is part of history. To have your name on the trophy would just be even more amazing.  

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