JERSEY CITY, New Jersey – William Knauth arrived on the first tee in time to see Rose Zhang strike her first shot – a beauty – down the first hole at Liberty National. Knauth is pursuing a doctorate in statistics now at Columbia University in New York City, and he walked all 18 holes with Zhang, marveling at her consistency. Last year, Knauth became only the second Division III player to ever win the Byron Nelson Award. Last month, he played in his first professional tournament at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Why was Knauth on the tee at 8:43 a.m.?
“Because Rose Zhang is only going to get one first pro round,” he said, “and I wanted to be able to say I was there.”
There’s a sense by many that the opening round at the Mizuho Americas Open could signal the start of one of the LPGA’s great careers. Zhang’s first-round, 2-under 70, capped by a birdie on the 18th hole, was so close to being so much better. Lauren Hartlage paces the field after a spotless 7-under 65, and Zhang finds herself currently inside the top 10.
Zhang called her debut a “moderately casual” round, which is on brand for a player who likes to keep things simple. She was grateful for an early tee time so that she could get into her routine straight away and settle the nerves.
She hugged Stanford coach Anne Walker before walking to the first tee, where tournament host Michelle Wie West stood in the bleachers to film Zhang’s opening shot, cheering the loudest of all for a fellow Cardinal who could rock the women’s game much like she did two decades ago. Zhang said Wie West told her to go out there and “do you.”
“I was a little surprised that there were people out there,” said Zhang. “You know, it’s early in the morning. It’s a Thursday. I don’t expect anyone to be out here and be like, ‘Oh, go Rose.’
“I guess there is a lot of significance to this round, for me in particular, but I felt really just loved out there. I think everyone, every single putt I made, every single shot that I hit, it got a lot of little claps, little cheers.”
Zhang, the most decorated amateur player in modern history, recorded her first birdie as a professional on the second hole when she drained an 8-footer. Did the moment register?
“Definitely not, because I – you know, as a golfer, you know, there are so many holes after that you can get a birdie on one hole and then triple the next,” she said.
“So I’m just keeping everything into perspective, keeping things realistic, and I felt that I was pretty composed out there.”
Rose Zhang hits off the fourth tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open golf tournament, Thursday, June 1, 2023, at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Zhang found herself 3 under through six holes, though she cooled off a bit in the middle of the round. On the par-5 13th, Zhang hit her first wayward drive of the day into a small fairway bunker. She wedged out and then hit her third shot right of the green. What came next had Zhang covering her mouth in disbelief as she chipped in from 29 yards for birdie.
The adrenaline of the moment didn’t last, however, as a string of short misses on the greens led to back-to-back bogeys and a heartbreaker on the 16th.
“Found out I had a couple putter yips,” said Zhang, who is known for her exceptional ability to self-correct.
“I was pushing my putts today a little bit,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I had a confident stroke, so it felt a little jabby. That’s something to work on on the practice green.”
Rose standing on the 14th tee checking her yardage book with Lady Liberty. Such a cool scene. pic.twitter.com/YxG0iRXg4G
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) June 1, 2023
When Zhang flew east from Palo Alto last week, Walker said the newly-minted NCAA champ slept hard the whole way. It had been a whirlwind stretch for Zhang after that historic week in the desert. She celebrated her 20th birthday, crammed in a bunch of Stanford homework and announced plans to turn professional.
There were sponsor photo shoots over the weekend followed by three hours of media on Tuesday. Zhang, however, looked fresh and sounded grateful, taking it all in stride.
Just chit chatting after a nice day on the golf course
pic.twitter.com/9VcYPdOgPS
— Will (@freewilllyyyy) June 1, 2023
The hype around Zhang is real, and with a stunning view of the New York City skyline around every corner at Liberty National, one can’t help but think about the LPGA’s deep need for an American superstar who crosses over into mainstream sports and beyond. A star who will embrace all that comes with carrying a tour.
Zhang took her first step toward that potential as a professional on a picture-perfect day under the gaze of Lady Liberty.
“I just genuinely think there are people around me who treat me very normal,” said Zhang, “treat me as I am, and that keeps me grounded. I have a very great support system around me, and that enables me to just do what I’m doing.”