Rose Zhang celebrates after successful the ANWA.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rose Zhang refused to stop.
With all of the adversity she confronted on Saturday at Augusta National, nobody would’ve blamed her if she did. Her swing was out of types. There was a three-hour climate delay throughout the center of the spherical. The greatest gamers in novice golf had her of their sights. And she had the burden of expectations — from the skin and inside — on her shoulders.
Despite all of it, the Stanford sophomore stood tall and weathered all of it, swing by gutsy swing, to emerge victorious at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
“To overcome everything,” stated Zhang, who shot a final-round 76. “I’m just super grateful to be here.”
With the win, Zhang put an exclamation level on one of the vital embellished novice careers of all time.
For a lot of the day, although, that didn’t seem like it will be the case.
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Augusta National has an urge for food for heartbreak.
Roberto DeVicenzo in 1968. Scott Hoch in 1989. Greg Norman in 1996. Rory McIlroy in 2011. Jordan Spieth in 2016. All had career-changing titles of their grasp, and all fell sufferer to the pressures that come from competing right here.
For parts of Saturday afternoon, it regarded like Zhang would add her title to that unlucky listing.
When the Stanford sophomore arrived for her tee time shortly earlier than 9 a.m., the ANWA was hers to lose. Rounds of 66 and 65 at Champions Retreat gave her a five-shot lead. She’d made only one bogey over 36 holes. She’d received her final 4 occasions in a row. And, because the No. 1-ranked participant on the earth, one other victory appeared imminent. But as Augusta National has proven us so many instances earlier than, nothing is assured.
It didn’t take lengthy for Zhang to be reminded of that reality as effectively. She pushed her opening tee shot into the cavernous bunker on the proper aspect of the green and then three-putted for a shaky double. Just like that, her lead was down to a few.
“I felt like the advantage disappeared after hole 1,” she stated. “I just knew that on this golf course, a five-shot lead is not enough. A ten-shot lead is not enough. Every single hole mattered. You could easily triple any hole on this golf course.”
Zhang prevented any disastrous triple bogeys, however she was removed from a cruise-controlled killer. She performed the primary 9 — that includes a three-hour rain delay — in four-over 40 and turned to the treacherous again 9 along with her lead trimmed to 2.
“It’s always difficult to have such a big lead, especially on such a prestigious stage,” Zhang stated. “I just felt like my swing wasn’t comfortable.”
Augusta National isn’t the place to lose your swing. And though the 19-year-old discovered it once more on Amen Corner, her once-comfortable lead was minimize to at least one halfway by means of the again 9.
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The again 9 par-5s at Augusta National are glimmering with alternative, but rife with disaster. Play them effectively, and birdies (and eagles) abound. Play them poorly, and your likelihood at glory can vanish. When Zhang performed the fifteenth throughout the remaining spherical, it regarded as if she would fall sufferer to the latter.
Clinging to a two-shot lead within the remaining pairing, Zhang put herself into a wonderful place off the tee. She had simply over 230 yards into the inexperienced and, after debating along with her father/caddie, Haibin, she opted to go for the inexperienced.
As quickly because the ball left the clubface, she knew she’d made a mistake. Her ball by no means threatened the placing floor, ending within the water in need of the opening.
“It wasn’t the smartest decision,” Zhang stated.
The ensuing bogey minimize her result in one. Moments later, Jenny Bae holed a birdie putt at the seventeenth to drag right into a tie for the lead.
For the primary time all week, Zhang’s title was not alone atop the leaderboard.
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In the group forward of Zhang, Jenny Bae was mounting her cost. She made three birdies between holes 9 and 17, and as she stepped to the 18th tee, she was tied for the lead.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier on a golf course that much in my life,” Bae stated. “I’ve never heard such big yelling on a golf course. It just felt amazing.”
After a par at the 18th, Bae walked to the scoring space and awaited her destiny. As Zhang performed the 18th gap, she joked along with her father and hydrated with electrolytes. While Zhang was reeling, Bae was beaming. Her nine-under complete represented the clubhouse lead, and if Zhang made yet one more mistake, the title can be hers.
That mistake would by no means materialize. After the miscue at 15, Zhang parred all the way in which dwelling. For the second time in ANWA historical past, a playoff can be wanted to find out a champion.
After the duo every parred the primary playoff gap (No. 18), they each break up the green on No. 10 with wonderful seems to be at the inexperienced. Zhang performed first and fired her shot onto the inexperienced — full with a “Be good!” bark — to place the strain on Bae.
For the primary time all day, the University of Georgia product made a crucial mistake. She tugged her iron lengthy and left of the inexperienced, ultimately discovering her ball nestled within the pine straw beneath a bush. And when her Hail Mary punch skittered throughout the inexperienced and into the bunker, Zhang wanted simply two putts to safe victory.
“After that little putt went in, it was just a sense of relief,” Zhang stated.
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That reduction was seen as Zhang entered the interview room. After hugging her father on the tenth inexperienced, celebrating along with her Stanford teammates, and going by means of the trophy ceremony, her solely remaining obligation was to talk with the media.
“Being able to play competitively at Augusta National is certainly different from any other venue that I’ve played in,” Zhang stated. “So I always knew that Augusta National is a battle, and I see a lot of work that I can improve on, which is even more great because it really shows how Augusta National is a true testament to our game.”
Zhang is correct in that regard. Augusta National is totally different than every other enviornment in golf. It’s not solely a take a look at of your recreation, it’s a take a look at of your resilience.
At the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, that has by no means been extra obvious.
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