As LPGA opens 2024 season, Rose Zhang is back at Stanford juggling two worlds

ORLANDO, Fla. — Rose Zhang is back at Stanford. Well, technically she’s in Florida this week for the LPGA season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions – to the dismay of her professors.

Zhang stayed up past midnight Tuesday doing schoolwork, making that 7:30 a.m. pro-am a quick turnaround. She told the media Wednesday afternoon that she’s carrying a full course load with classes in journalism, political science and media psych.

A self-described people pleaser, the 20-year-old pro said she’s starting to learn the crucial life skill of saying no, which judging by the sound of her to-do list is becoming increasingly essential.

“Coming into this event it was a little bit of a hustle to kind of get things in order,” she said. “I have new clubs in the bag. I’m trying to figure out my putter situation. Health-wise been a lot happening, too. So just a little bit of adjustments here and there, which kind of I guess throws off your offseason schedule.

“I also moved, so I’ve been moving three different places. Moving from Irvine to Vegas, Vegas to Stanford. And I also finished week one of school. … It’s been fun.”

Zhang won her first LPGA event as a professional, the Mizuho Americas Open, one week after clinching her second NCAA title. The victory qualified her for the TOC, which will be her only start this month. She’ll take off the spring Asian swing (four events) and return to action at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club. She plans to graduate with a degree in communications after five years at Stanford in 2026.

“Stanford has a requirement of 180 units,” she explained. “I finished around 90-ish units. I’m just going to keep doing the 20 units per winter quarter. Maybe take a couple online classes if I’m allowed to in other quarters.”

This week Zhang has all new Callaway clubs, including the Epic Forged Star irons. She’d played with Apex irons since age 13 and made the switch in an effort to gain more distance control.

“Even though I was hitting really well with the Apex irons, there were some cases where my ball was too hot coming off the face,” she said. “It’s been generating a couple different noises that I would probably not appreciate as much on the golf course.”

As for her health, Zhang said she began working with a nutritionist after she felt her body wasn’t processing food as well after the stress of global travel. She’d feel bloated after a plate of vegetables.

She cut out soy, gluten and dairy to clear out her system and will reintroduce those foods in time.

“These are not, in my opinion, like crazy health concerns,” she said. “It’s more so how am I able to optimize my performance in-season and traveling everywhere with the time differences and time zones, what would make me perform well.”

While Zhang calls her winter quarter at Stanford a simpler time, she’s constantly surrounded by overachievers and can’t help but find inspiration at every turn. Everyone she knows is grinding, and she feels the need to do the same, though she’s not a results-driven person.

“I’m not someone who wants a certain ranking by the end of the year,” she said, “or I want to win this event by the end of the year.”

The flashy carrots like qualifying for the Paris Olympics and Solheim Cup will take care of themselves, she figures. Besides, Zhang considers her time at Stanford an incredible opportunity rather than a detractor from her full-time job.

Michelle Wie West of the United States plays her shot from the 18th tee during the second round of the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on July 07, 2023 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Few in the game can relate to the path Zhang has chosen better than Michelle Wie West, who began her career at Stanford while playing full-time on the LPGA, winning twice on tour while earning her degree in communications.

“I felt like I had a double persona, a double life,” said Wie West last summer at her final U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. “I was one thing out here – I had to act way more maturely than I really was out here because I was playing with older women – and when I went to school, I was kind of my old goofy self.

“So it really helps, I think, to kind of separate it and treat this as work and then you go back, and that’s your life.”