Rose Zhang loved a dream begin to her skilled profession with victory in her first occasion within the Mizuho Americas Open.
Zhang, who solely joined the paid ranks 9 days in the past, defeated Jennifer Kupcho on the second gap of a play-off after the pair had completed tied on 9 below par at Liberty National Golf Club.
Kupcho set the clubhouse goal after a closing 69 and Zhang wanted to par the 18th to win in regulation, however discovered a bunker off the tee and was unable to stand up and down from wanting the inexperienced.
The 20-year-old American is the primary participant to win on the LPGA Tour of their skilled debut since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
“What is happening? I just can’t believe it,” stated Zhang after two putts for par on the second play-off gap have been sufficient to beat Kupcho.
“It was just last week when I won NCAAs with my teammates. To turn pro and come out here, it’s just been amazing.”
Zhang confirmed she might be taking membership on the LPGA Tour which comes with the victory – after ending her finals at Stanford and transferring subsequent week.
“I understand there is going to be a lot of bumps in the road and I’m expecting a lot of obstacles,” she stated. “But I think this is just the start. This is just a stepping stone.
“It’s crazy that this is my first win, first professional win already, but no doubt there is going to be a lot more things happening down the road.
“I’m just going to be continuing to learn inside the ropes.”
Zhang spent a report 141 weeks on the high of the ladies’s novice rankings, surpassing the earlier better of 135 set by Ireland’s Leona Maguire.
She grew to become the primary girls’s participant to win two NCAA particular person titles following her profitable title defence on the finish of May, a victory which noticed her exceed the variety of wins Tiger Woods achieved at Stanford.
Zhang additionally gained the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April and the US Women’s Amateur two years in the past, in addition to serving to the United States to Curtis Cup wins over Great Britain and Ireland in 2021 and 2022.
