LOS ANGELES - Rose Zhang was named a Top Three finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award on Monday night, representing the latest prestigious honor for an amateur resume that ranks among the all-time best.
Zhang was joined by Honda Cup recipient Caitlin Clark (women's basketball - Iowa) and fellow Top Three finalist Logan Eggleston (women's volleyball - Texas).
Zhang was bidding to become the fifth Cardinal to claim the honor, joining a noteworthy list that includes Simone Manuel (women's swimming and diving – 2018), Katie Ledecky (women's swimming and diving – 2017), Ogonna Nnamani (women's volleyball – 2005) and Tara Kirk (women's swimming and diving – 2004).
The Honda Cup sport award winner for golf for the second straight season, Zhang recently put the finishing touches on arguably the most decorated amateur career in the history of collegiate golf during two dynamic seasons (2022-23) on The Farm.
A two-time NCAA individual champion – the first female to accomplish the feat – Zhang twice set the NCAA single-season scoring average record, with a 68.81 sophomore-season scoring average besting a 69.68 freshman average.
In addition to finishing her career as a two-time ANNIKA Award recipient, Zhang was also a two-time WGCA Golfer of the Year, becoming the first repeat honoree since Duke's Amanda Blumenherst in 2008. A two-time First Team WGCA All-American, Zhang also established the NCAA career scoring average record with a 69.24 average in 62 career rounds. Zhang is also a two-time Golfweek Player of the Year recipient.
A two-time Pac-12 Golfer of the Year, Zhang joined UCLA's Bronte Law (2015-16) as the only repeat conference winner and one of three two-time recipients overall. However, Zhang's resume of wins, awards and scoring records stands out in comparison to her predecessors.
In just 20 collegiate events over her two seasons, Zhang delivered a school-record 12 victories, matching Arizona's Lorena Ochoa (2001-03) for the most in conference women's golf history. Only Arizona State's Phil Mickelson finished with more, claiming 16 titles from 1988-92.
As a sophomore in 2023, Zhang won a staggering 8-of-10 events, becoming only the fourth woman to sweep through the postseason with record-setting Pac-12 and NCAA Regional crowns and an unprecedented NCAA title defense. Zhang's eight single-season wins tied her for the most in women's collegiate golf history and matched Tiger Woods (1995-96) for the most in school history.
The former Cardinal standout played her final collegiate match on May 23, announced her decision to turn pro on May 26 and captured the inaugural Mizuho Americas Open title in a two-hole sudden-death playoff on June 4, delivering one of the most historic moments in the sport while becoming the first player to win her LPGA debut since Beverly Hanson in 1951. Zhang finished her first tournament at 279 overall (-9), carding rounds of 70-69-66-74 and earning automatic tour membership with the victory, becoming the fourth sponsor invite to win on the LPGA Tour since 2003 and first since Lydia Ko in 2013.
Three weeks later, Zhang finished in a tie for eighth at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, despite playing in her first major and making only her second LPGA Tour start as a pro.
Back on April 19, Zhang reached 136 consecutive weeks as the world's leading female amateur golfer, surpassing the previous record of 135 set by Leona Maguire of the Republic of Ireland in 2018. Zhang also captured the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur, defeating Georgia's Jenny Bae on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Zhang also won the U.S. Girls Junior and U.S. Women's Amateur in her illustrious amateur career.
A 2023 CSC First-Team Academic All-American, Zhang plans to remain enrolled at Stanford and continue pursuing her degree in communication while training at the world-class Siebel Varsity Golf Training complex.
Established in 1976, the CWSA honors the nation's top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership with the CWSA in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.6 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs.
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