Rose Zhang Holds Outright Lead Heading Into Final Round of Sensational LPGA Pro Debut
Living up to the lofty expectations set out for her in her first start as a professional seemed to be a tall task for Rose Zhang when she teed off at Liberty National this weekend.
But with just one round left to play, the 20-year-old phenom stands alone at the top of the leaderboard.
Following her best round of the tournament thus far, a six-under 66, Zhang holds the outright lead at the Mizuho Americas Open at 11 under. The former standout amateur sits two shots clear of Cheyenne Knight, Atthaya Thitikul and Aditi Ashok.
Minjee Lee, who was tied for the lead with Knight at the end of the second round, cooled off after a tournament-best 64 on Friday, finishing Saturday’s round four shots behind.
Rosenberg: Rose Zhang Is Ready to Become a Global Superstar—If Golf’s Rulers Decide to Help
Zhang proved to be the story of the afternoon, as she raced out of the gates Saturday with a birdie at the par-4 1st. She finished the front nine with four birdies, but it wasn’t until the back nine when she began to differentiate herself.
On the par-3 14th, Zhang played a perfect tee shot into the green, leaving her with just a tap-in birdie to tie the lead. The crowd at Liberty National eagerly reacted to the precise shot with a chorus of applause.
Just a few holes later on No. 16, Zhang dialed up another highlight-reel shot off the tee, blasting her drive up to the green on the short par-4. While her eagle putt swung just wide, she neatly finished up her birdie to vault to the top of the leaderboard.
Zhang entered the tournament to widespread fanfare after she became the first back-to-back NCAA women's champion last weekend. The Stanford legend already boasts a number of accolades, including a three-year stint atop the women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur title, but will have a chance to make an even stronger impression if she can close out the victory in her professional debut on Sunday.