EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Rose Zhang tees off on the 13th hole during the Second Round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 28, 2023. | Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Zhang recorded a top-ten finish in a major yet again as the 20-year-old continues to light up the golfing world.
Rose Zhang tied for ninth at the Amundi Evian Championship in France this past weekend. It is the third time this season that the former Stanford Cardinal finished within the top 10 at a major, in three starts.
The 20-year-old finished birdie-birdie on the 17th and 18th holes Sunday, carding a 3-under 68 for her final round.
Zhang finished at 5-under for the championship, nine strokes behind Celine Boutier, who won the title in dominating fashion on her home soil.
“It’s amazing,” Zhang said when asked about the way she finished. “You always love ending a good round in a little bit of style. I was really happy that I was able to convert those putts. Any putt out here is not a given, so the fact that the ball was going in the hole, I was really satisfied.”
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Rose Zhang plays her shot out of the bunker on the 18th hole during the Second Round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 28, 2023.
Zhang has been one of the biggest stories in women’s golf in 2023.
She won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur the week before the Masters.
In her LPGA debut, the Mizuho Americas Open, Zhang defeated Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff to claim her first professional victory in June. She became the first woman since Beverly Hanson 72 years ago to win her first pro start.
Zhang finished in a tie for 8th at the Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol three weeks later. She then tied for ninth at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach before her most recent performance in France.
“I feel like I’m on the right track in my mental space and navigating the entire tour life,” Zhang said. “I still feel like I have so much more improvement ahead of me, which I am excited for the learning curve and the growth development I’ll have later on.”
It seems to be just a matter of time before Zhang breaks through and wins her first major championship.
Her next opportunity will come at the AIG Women’s British Open, which will take place from Aug. 10-13 at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England.
Walton Heath hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup, which the Americans dominated.
As for Zhang, she tied for 28th at the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open, receiving low amateur honors.
Last year’s tournament was held at Muirfield in Scotland.
She also played in 2021, when she missed the cut at Carnoustie.
But Zhang has much more confidence and the game to contend in a major championship than she did then.
If she sticks to her game plan, she will likely be there come Sunday.
“Game plan is just to execute every shot that I can and really commit to my swing,” Zhang said Sunday. “No matter as an amateur or a pro, I still try to go out there and beat the golf course.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
