‘Great’ week gives Rose Zhang shot at Americas Open title in pro debut
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Rose Zhang lining up her shot from the 16th tee during the third round of the Mizuho Americas Open on Saturday.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – Rose Zhang, making her professional debut after a dominant amateur career, is “taking it all in”, after firing a six-under 66 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the LPGA Americas Open.
The 20-year-old Californian, whose amateur victories included back-to-back NCAA collegiate titles, the US Women’s Amateur and the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, had six birdies without a bogey to build a 54-hole total of 11-under 205 at Liberty National in Jersey City.
That put her two clear of compatriot Cheyenne Knight (70), Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul (68) and India’s Aditi Ashok (68).
“It’s been great,” Zhang said of her week so far.
“Today was pretty much what I expected. The golf course was playing a little more difficult, especially with the winds gusting up a little bit more and it’s in a different direction.
“I was committed to every golf shot that I hit, so I think all that allowed me to shoot the best score that I could.”
She started the day two shots off the lead and opened with a birdie at the first. She added birdies at the fourth, sixth and eighth and seized a share of the lead with a birdie at the 14th.
As cooling temperatures and rising winds made scoring difficult for the late finishers on the back nine, she drove the green at the par-four 16th. While her eagle attempt from inside six feet did not drop, she tapped in for a birdie and the solo lead.
Zhang posted 12 collegiate wins, including eight this season, to draw comparisons to another Stanford alumnus – Tiger Woods.
She has played in eight major tournaments as an amateur, but admitted that leading by two after the third round was not where she expected to be.
“I was expecting myself to scramble into the cut,” she said.
“I’ve been enjoying every moment. I feel like the weekend is something that I’ve experienced before but as an amateur, so it is a little different.
“I’ve just been trying to take it all in, figure out what to do inside the ropes, rather than just, you know, be blindsided.”
Knight was 10 under after three front-nine birdies, but an errant tee shot led to bogey at the 17th – where she did well to limit the damage.
Ashok said solid putting helped her birdie five of the first 10 holes, before her sole bogey at No. 15. She also holed out from a bunker at the fourth “which always helps”.
Atthaya, a two-time LPGA winner, carded an eagle at the par-five sixth to go with three birdies and a bogey. AFP, REUTERS
