Rose Zhang explains why she continues to study at Stanford while being LPGA superstar

Rose Zhang is taking time away from her studies to compete in this week’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Every time young phenom Rose Zhang speaks publicly, you walk away even more impressed with who she is.

Zhang is a two-time winner on the LPGA, and yet she is barely old enough to drink alcohol. But you would never guess her age based on her maturity, character, and how she conducts herself overall. That’s because she has her priorities straight. She is steadfast in earning her bachelor’s in communications from Stanford, all while playing professional golf.

Is it the most popular route? Not at all. Look at others, such as Nick Dunlap, Blades Brown, and Akshay Bhatia, who left school early or skipped college to pursue professional opportunities. That’s not a knock on those players either — no decision is wrong per se.

“It’s a lot of work. I think one mistake I made last year was when I had an off-season and was at school full-time with 20 units. I had a couple of hard classes and lost a lot of sleep,” Zhang admitted.

“I didn’t really take care of myself. I was trying to practice the same amount I was on Tour and also being in school in that sense, which was a lot to load.”

This time, Zhang has focused on the books, prioritizing her studies more than practicing. Her overall health has improved, and she can still get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Her schedule even includes a class titled “Sleeps and Dreams,” but since Zhang has her sleeping under control, she has yet to drowse off during any of those lectures. Should anyone take a catnap mid-class, the professor fires a squirt gun at them in front of the class. The guilty party then has to stand up and say, “Drowsiness is red alert.” Imagine Zhang having to do that — “I don’t think I can handle that pressure,” she says.

But she handles the stress of her studies at Stanford and being a professional golfer with ease, or so it seems.

“I really like how my schedule is playing out right now because I’m full-time, 22 units for the winter quarter. But it’s only ten weeks, so the week before Arizona would be my finals week, which is nice because I’ll get to finish everything that I need to and then prioritize that, put that to the side, and get ready for the entire season,” Zhang said.

“It’s kind of like me tackling one thing at a time. There is a lot of multi-tasking when it comes to golf and performance. I just make sure that I have the time to work out, the time to plan out my schedule, and practice with structure. These are all things I’m figuring out which will ultimately, no matter what happens in terms of score, at least get me organized to where I want to be or see what factors I can work on.”

To have that perspective — and discipline — as a college senior is remarkable.

“You know, a lot of people ask me, [why do you do all this?] But I do think it is really, really good for my character. Really good for just my personal development in general,” Zhang added.

“It’s very difficult and I’m not really sure if there is a right option to just turn pro and just play golf or finish my degree. In my opinion, this is a good balance for what I’m striving for. It’s not necessarily the most popular route, but it’s definitely a good route in my eyes.”

After this week’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Zhang will return to Palo Alto to finish her semester and not play competitively for roughly two months.

Only 32 LPGA players are in this field, and the only way to qualify for this event is if you have won over the past two years. That’s why Zhang is playing this week; she has quickly become an elite player.

But she did not arrive in Central Florida having the best form, thanks to her studies.

“[Wednesday] was my sixth time ever practicing, second time on a golf course itself,” Zhang said.

“So I’m kind of keeping it low expectations, zero expectations to be fair, and going out there and trying to learn the best from my game. That’s my priority for this entire week. It’s so great to be able to be with celebrities and have this sort of environment. I’m super excited about it.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.