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It’s been a rough year for Rose Zhang. Things started strong with a T10 finish at the Tournament of Champions, but taking time off to focus on her Stanford studies, followed by a neck injury, left the former World Amateur No. 1 with too much ground to make up to qualify for the CME Group Tour Championship. Now, as she gears up for a comeback, Zhang was recently spotted having a light-hearted practice session with golf influencer Gabriella DeGasperis.

In a clip posted by DeGasperis on Instagram recently, Rose Zhang bursts into laughter after nearly hitting her while attempting a trick shot, trying to send the ball over Gabriella’s head and into the hole behind her.

When Rose Zhang struck the shot with full confidence, she expected it to drop straight into the hole, but instead, it came dangerously close to Gabriella DeGasperis’ face. The influencer fell backward onto the ground, sending both of them into uncontrollable laughter.

Thankfully, Gabriella wasn’t seriously hurt, since the ball didn’t actually make contact. However, even though she missed the shot, it doesn’t mean Zhang is losing her touch. But it does look like she’ll need more time before everything fully clicks again. Why, you ask?

And in case you missed the update, Rose Zhang (already a two-time winner on the LPGA) plans to finish her communications degree in March. Unlike in 2023 and 2024, she decided not to juggle school with a full travel schedule this time around. So, with both her mental and physical health becoming a priority, there’s growing speculation that she might take an extended break from the LPGA Tour to recharge and focus on her education.

That wouldn’t be surprising, considering she went trophyless through all of 2025 and had been dealing with a packed schedule. Just last month, she even raised concern among the media when they asked how she was handling the pressure. That’s when Rose got candid and opened up about everything she’s been navigating behind the scenes.

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Why Rose Zhang is pressing pause on her LPGA career

Rose Zhang wrapped up the first round at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican and was asked if she was finally getting enough rest. She admitted she really needed it, explaining that the last few years had been overwhelming.

“I would say the last three years have been a little bit hectic. I haven’t really had time to process everything,” she told reporters.

Ever since earning her LPGA Tour membership in 2023, the 22-year-old has been living the nonstop life of a pro golfer. And on top of that, she’s been chipping away at her Communications degree at Stanford, a part-time program she started in 2021 and won’t finish until 2027. Ultimately, balancing schoolwork and golf has been draining, especially because she returned from her study break only to deal with a neck injury.

Now, she’s trying to reset both mentally and physically.

“With me being able to kind of go back to the basics… and get my mind fresh and ready for the upcoming season, I think that’s my main priority right now,” she said.

Rose added that she’s actually enjoying golf more again because she’s no longer letting the game “get inside her head” the way it did before.

At this point, Rose Zhang’s biggest goal is to get healthy and stay healthy. The stress and nonstop schedule of the last three years taught her that pushing too hard only leads to burnout and more injuries. She’s taking her time, slowing down, and focusing on long-term sustainability. That said, could taking time away from the LPGA actually help Rose Zhang return stronger than ever?