Rose Zhang Wins LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup, Korda’s Win Streak Over

Zhang and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom put on a show all week at Upper Montclair Country Club in New Jersey.

Rose Zhang got her second LPGA win Sunday at the Cognizant Founders Cup. / Liz Dufour/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

A week that began with all eyes on an LPGA superstar ended with a win by the Tour’s brightest young star.

Rose Zhang, a winner last year in her very first professional start, got her second win Sunday at the Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, N.J., birdieing four of her last five holes to reel in Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom.

The two had their feet on the gas since the first round at Upper Montclair Country Club, with Zhang winning at 24 under, two shots ahead of Sagstrom at 22 under. No one else was double-digits under par; Gabriela Ruffels finished third at 9 under.

Zhang trailed Sagstrom by three shots with five to play, then blitzed her way in with the four birdies.

“I never gave up, I always knew I had something in me to grind it out,” said Zhang, who at 20 years old is the LPGA’s youngest winner this season.

And for the first time since March, an LPGA event wasn’t won by Nelly Korda. The world No. 1 faded over the weekend with two rounds of 1-over-par 73 and ended at 7 under in a tie for seventh, 17 shots behind Zhang.

“First few days were great and then a pair of 73s; 1-over on the weekend will not get you into contention,” Korda said.

But the finish didn’t diminish her feat of five consecutive wins, tying Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam for the longest streak in LPGA history. 

“Yeah, gosh, hasn't even sunk in … maybe in like 10, 15 years it'll sink in,” Korda said. “Hopefully someone beats it one day.

“But just to do that with all the competition out here is super, super rewarding with how much work that I've put in. So I think to get a streak like that in any sport in general is amazing with the amount of talent that I feel like every athlete has in their sport.”

The second major of the LPGA season is the U.S. Women’s Open, May 30-June 2, where plenty of eyes will be on Korda again–and Zhang.