“As a professional now...” - Rose Zhang on her debut major championship round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2023
Rose Zhang is currently playing in her maiden major championship at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The 20-year-old golfer, who leaped into fanfare by winning the Mizuho Americas Open earlier this month, sat T29 on the event leaderboard after the second day of play.
Zhang was T12 and just four shots off the lead at the end of Thursday. It is pertinent to note that the amateur sensation looked at home teeing off alongside esteemed partners Lexi Thompson and Minjee Lee.
Following a strong opening round outing, Zhang revealed that she is learning things “as a professional.” Opening up on her debut major championship experience, the young golfer stated that she is trying to soak up every bit of knowledge she can at Baltusrol this weekend.
Speaking to the media after her opening round, Rose Zhang said, as quoted by Golf Monthly:
“Every single day I feel like as a professional now, I'm learning so much. I'm just really trying to learn how it is inside the ropes, how players operate… I was playing with Lexi and Minjee, and these are people that I've watched on TV since I was younger. Just understanding how they do things and how they operate, I'm just learning along as I go.”
Bounce back birdie 🌹
@rosezhang is within four of the lead at the @KPMGWomensPGA
Watch now on @peacock! https://t.co/ldMytZFX5c
Rose Zhang dubs KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2023 'tough'
Rose Zhang, who won her maiden LPGA Tour event as a pro last month, said the major championship is tough. However, the breakout star added that she’d mentally prepared herself for the same, coming into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2023.
She added:
“Nothing that I didn't expect. I knew when you're going to be out here, it's going to be very difficult, and you're going to have to try to claw your way back when things aren't going your way. I felt pretty calm for the most part. I definitely felt like I was searching my golf game just a little bit because there were a couple adjustments that I felt that were uncomfortable for me when I was out there. I feel like this is just who I am. I'm trying to keep it as calm as possible.
First and foremost, you really do have to grind when you're out here. You're not going to hit perfect shots, and even if you do hit perfect shots, you need to be in the position where you place the ball properly on these greens. It just showed that I had great course management. I made a lot of clutch par putts, showed that I had the grind in me, and anyone who shoots red figures here should be pretty proud of what they were doing out there.”
It is pertinent to note that Rose Zhang became a fan favorite after she became the first woman since Beverly Hanson in 1951 to win on her LPGA professional debut. The golfer also became eligible for this year’s Solheim Cup after a big win at the Mizuho Americas Open.
With the first taste of victory out of its way, Zhang is now eyeing a strong finish at her major debut on Sunday.