There are a lot of things to admire about Rose Zhang. Before turning pro two years ago, she was arguably the winningest amateur in the history of women’s golf. Now she’s competing on the LPGA and already has a pair of professional wins at age 21. Zhang is as poised as they get and her youth — combined with a swing that could make a robot look inconsistent — has allowed her to become one of the faces of the game’s Gen-Z movement.
Zhang is doing it all while attending Stanford University as a communications major, taking 22 credits this winter (she completes one 10-week quarter each year to balance school with the international LPGA schedule). As Zhang finishes her third-to-last quarter of classes en route to a 2027 graduation date, she caught up with The Athletic to talk about the state of the LPGA, her adjusted preseason game plan and her new foray into golf’s simulator experiment. Zhang is now a minority investor in The Bay Golf Club, TGL’s San Francisco team. According to TGL, active discussions are taking place with the LPGA to devise competitions that could integrate top female players. With virtual holes, players in a mixed event could all hit from the same tee boxes with the technology adjusting for appropriate distances. The prospect of that arrangement is certainly enticing, and Zhang, for one, is intrigued by it.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
You’re the newest investor in TGL. How did that come about?
I’d heard about it on social media, but I never really thought about becoming an investor. My agency brought the opportunity to me. It’s low stakes for me because I’m not the one playing out there. It’s cool to be on the investing side of things, this is one of the first things I’ve invested in, in the golf world at least. The Bay Area has played a huge role in my life and career. I’m a student-athlete at Stanford, I play a lot of golf in the city of SF and being able to be a part of it in a more meaningful way was my first thought. To see other athletes like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala involved makes it even more amazing. It’s going to be cool to watch the team on TV and say, “Oh, I have a little part in that!” Not really … but I do. I’m invested in it emotionally too.
Have you watched much TGL?
I have, with the cool technology and the indoor facility it gives an energy that even non-golfers can enjoy. I think it’s a really good platform to expose different parts of the game, show people’s personalities, and have a little bit of fun. Some of my non-golf friends are like, “Oh, this thing is like a whole stadium and you’re playing golf indoors? What does that even mean?” You’ve got all these crazy lights — it basically turns into a show. It’s a good source of entertainment for those who aren’t exposed to it. You don’t get to see golfers’ personalities because we don’t talk. The entertaining side of all of this is that players are mic’d up and get to interact with fans and each other. People like to see competition and camaraderie but some kind of flare to each personality.
Should LPGA players be a part of TGL?
I think that’s a topic for discussion. That would definitely be very interesting. It brings a lot of variety with the format that it is — indoor golf, one vs. one or team vs. team. Having diversity really brings this sort of platform to life. I can definitely see the LPGA hopping on board with it, having specific players participate in a TGL event. I played “The Match” with Rory McIlroy, Lexi Thompson and Max Homa. It’s similar to that, but it’s inside and indoors so it’s fair play for everyone. I think a lot of people don’t understand, there are a lot of characters out there on the LPGA Tour. You’ve got a lot of people with personalities that are so suited for this type of format.
Who should TGL recruit from the LPGA?
We’re talking about popular characters here. To start off, in my opinion, I’d love to see Meghan Khang hop on there. She knows how to talk, that’s for sure. Charley Hull is a world renowned name, it’d be really entertaining to see what she does. If you want really good players, you’ve got Lydia Ko, you’ve got Nelly Korda.
A highlight of Zhang’s 2024 was her appearance on a winning Solheim Cup team. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
You made your season debut at the HGV Tournament of Champions and posted at T10 finish, but we know that was just a break from your winter studies at Stanford. How has your offseason been treating you?
It’s been a lot more academic than actual golf. I’m excited, I’m doing a lot of cool projects. I’m hosting an AJGA event. I’ve been focusing on school, hanging out with friends, and being with people I haven’t been able to hang out with in the last two years. It’s really nice to have some bonding time and just enjoy the offseason a little bit more. It’s a grind, given I’m still balancing academics and golf. But the grind honestly challenges me.
What classes are you taking this semester?
I’m taking a Politics of Algorithms, Deliberative Democracy and its Critics, a Hebrew Jewish Short Stories class, a Science Technology & Society class and a class called Sleep and Dreams. It’s a cognitive science class. You get bonus points if you fall asleep in lecture. You get woken up by a squirt gun.
Did you intentionally decide to take a step back from golf and throw yourself into school this year?
Definitely. Especially with last year, I was able to balance golf and school, but my social life was deterred a little bit. I had a lot of difficulty in balancing myself and my health, physically. It was a little bit hard to navigate in that sense. This year I was a lot more intentional. I’m taking 22 units of classes. That’s a big load for any student. I essentially decided to finish my academics and prioritize that, and then when I could rest and recover that’s when I could spend time with people. Just be a little bit lower maintenance, so when I start playing at the end of March I’m not completely tired and wiped out from the last three months. It’s been a lot better. I personally wish to prepare the best way I can starting in March. With a super long season my priority is to rest a little bit more.
What have been some of those hiccups in your health?
Everything piled up on its own. I did a lot of intense practicing at school, and I had a lot of class as well. I also just went full speed into the season. I spread myself a little thin in practice and the way I was doing things. By the end of the year, I had this recurring thing with my wrist that started back in 2020, and it just came back. I don’t want it to remain chronic, so that’s a priority. I’m slowly starting to load my wrist again to make sure it’s strong. You can go to physical therapy and have the inflammation resolved, but to strengthen it or at least bring it back to its normal performance, you’ve going to need to do circuits that involve resistance and weight. That’ll get me where I want to be.
Do you have any mindset changes or goals you’ve hoping to make in 2025?
The No. 1 thing that I have in mind — and I was talking to my entire team about it — is I just want to make sure I’m intentional with the things I’ve been doing and the schedule I curate with them. I want to stay accountable for balancing everything and actually do everything, for example. Making sure I’m going through workouts with my trainer, resting my body and relaxing it, giving myself times where I can work with my coach and practice efficiently. I created a schedule for myself, and I wish to just go with that. So when things happen on tour and there’s a lot going on, I have a plan to fall back on. Last year, I misdirected in the way I was preparing myself for events. So that’s the main priority this year. I’m not so worried about the results as much. If you’re able to plan the process and go with it, that’s when results come.
Do you find comfort in sticking to a process?
I find freedom in it. Once you know you’re on a trajectory that you curated, that’s when you have a little bit more agency to at least think about if you need to deviate plans. I was doing a little bit too much of going here, going there — not fulfilling my priorities.
You started using AimPoint this fall. Has it been helping you and what has the process been like learning it?
I started using it at The Annika, actually, and that week was my best putting week on tour to date. I feel very encouraged by it. Obviously, I still have to do some practice. I do believe that it’s helped me a lot, especially with my confidence. And the slow play thing — if you do it right, it doesn’t slow other people up. As long as you’re courteous, that’s the biggest thing.
Zhang changed her putting routine late last year, switching to the AimPoint strategy. (Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
Speaking of slow play, the LPGA released a new slow play policy. Do you think the tour has a slow play problem?
It’s definitely been voiced by a lot of players. We take a lot of time waiting, especially on par 5s and par 3s. It slows up your day, and it slows things for those who are watching. At the end of the day, I think it’s up to players to create their routine to allow them not to be the slow player out there. There are players who struggle with that, which I understand. I’m just glad the LPGA has this regulation for everyone to follow. I’m not really a fast player, but I get paranoid about being slow. I grew up playing junior golf on the AJGA, and you get these red cards when you’re slow.
The LPGA is on the hunt for a new commissioner. What should their top priorities be?
There’s a difficult balance in the business aspect of golf and the actual competitive world of golf, so I understand how challenging it is. The biggest thing I’d wish for the new commissioner to do is at least provide communication or at least clear communication for what they intend on doing, and what you wish to relay to the players. You have to grow the LPGA through engagement, through deals, through sponsorships. This requires a lot of EQ and requires a lot of intelligence in that sense. I’d say with that, the new commissioner really needs to embody those basic things that could really elevate the LPGA. It’s not easy. They have to have the players’ best interests too, which is a fine line to tackle. That’s why I say communication is super key. If the players understand where the business mind comes from, they may want to critique things but they’d also be OK with things if they at least have a voice that can tell them what’s going on. That’s the biggest thing.
Do you think the LPGA does enough to promote its stars?
I don’t believe so. I speak for a lot of players who also believe that. The reason is, I think it takes characters to really showcase what the tour is about — to give people a story or something to engage with. The LPGA has been trying. I don’t think that it’s not happening. They’re in the process of creating more engagement for LPGA players to be exposed to the public. There are already characters on tour who are willing to fill those shoes. It’s honestly just the strategic side of things now. Exposing them to platforms, media and other people. A lot of players are already willing to do so. You need to have both ends of the stick. The player who is willing to put themselves out there, and a tour that is willing to push you out there. There are a lot of initiatives happening behind the scenes. I’m not discouraged by them not doing anything, it’s more so they just haven’t done much yet.
(Top photo: Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images)