Last year at the iconic Pebble Beach, Rose Zhang set the women’s course record with a 9-under-par 63. Back then, Zhang was just a sophomore at Stanford and was kicking off a historic year that would see her become the first women’s golfer to win multiple NCAA titles.

Ten months later, she is back at the landmark venue to play at the 2023 US Women’s Open. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, the 20-year-old not only made a historic professional debut but also achieved a top-10 finish at a major event. Despite her amazing achievements, however, Zhang is keeping her feet planted on the ground. Following her second round at Pebble Beach on Friday, the golfer opened up about her current priorities outside of golf.

Rose Zhang throws light on her ambitions outside of golf

No other player dominated amateur golf quite like Rose Zhang did. Before going pro, the young prodigy had spent a jaw-dropping 141 weeks as the No. 1 ranked amateur player in the world! Zhang even set a Stanford benchmark with 12 wins in 20 starts, breaking the record of none other than Tiger Woods.

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The expectations surrounding the golfing star only increased once she went pro, with Zhang successfully exceeding those as well! All this is happening for the golfer while she is still pursuing her education at Stanford University!

In the press conference following the second round of the US Women’s Open, the LPGA winner stressed that she is going to continue to prioritize her academics alongside her professional golfing career. “I feel like the two years I’ve had has been incredible but there is so much more that I can learn,” she revealed. “Therefore, it’s not just the education I’m looking for, but also just being in that environment and widening my horizons to push myself further, not just on the golf course.”

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On Friday, many Stanford alumni were present to lend their support to Zhang. Several other Stanford cardinals, including Kelly Xu, Andrea Lee, and Aline Krauter, are also part of the US Women’s Open field this year.

Rose Zhang steadies the ship during second round of the US Women’s Open

Zhang was one of the more popular players during the second round of the US Women’s Open, with a large crowd following her every move. “Go Rose,” several fans, including young girls, could be heard cheering as the golfer passed them by.

The former Stanford star finished day two at 1-over par, eight strokes behind solo leader Bailey Tardy. She shot 34 on her back nine to settle for a score of 1-under 71. She is among the top 60 and ties that will make Friday’s cut to head into the weekend.

Last month, Zhang became the first woman in 72 years to win on her LPGA Tour debut by claiming the Mizuho Americas Open title. For her heroics, she walked away with an incredible $412,500 in earnings. She followed it up with a T8 finish at the Women’s PGA Championship, winning $214,811 out of the $10 million purse.

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How do you think Rose Zhang will fare over the weekend at Pebble Beach? Which golfer are you rooting for to win the US Women’s Open this year? Tell us in the comments!