With the LPGA back in the U.S. for the first time since January, a number of the tour’s stars have returned including Rose Zhang. It’s finals week at Stanford, yet Zhang isn’t playing like someone who balanced practice rounds at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship with term papers and exams.
As No. 1 Lilia Vu clawed her way back to play the weekend, another breakout star from 2023, defending champion Ruoning Yin, finds herself in familiar territory.
Here are five things to know from the early action at Palos Verdes Golf Club, where the legendary Seri Pak plays host to the next generation.
Yin hasn’t had the best start to 2024 but still sounded confident coming into Palos Verdes, where she won her first LPGA title last year. Her second-round 65 included a front-nine 31 (her second nine of the day).
“The front nine the fairway is wide open and I can smoke it whenever I want,” she explained. “Plus, today’s pin position is quite easy for attack. I can be aggressive.”
Yin credited her caddie, veteran David Jones, for repeatedly reminding her to stay patient
Zhang returned to the LPGA after nearly a two-month break and put herself right back in contention. The Stanford student reports that she received full marks on an exam she took on Tuesday.
On the leaderboard at Palos Verdes, she’s one back of defending champion Yin.
“We’re slowly getting there,” said Zhang, who wrapped up the winter quarter earlier this week. “I think being able to come back and really stay in the zone, I think what I really missed about competitive golf is once you’re in the zone, it feels really good to just commit to everything that you have and put your all out there.”
Zhang, who shot a second consecutive 68, won a college event at Palos Verdes in February 2023 and reports that the greens are softer this time around.
“Last year I remember I couldn’t go at any pins just because it was so hard to stop the ball in certain areas,” she said. “This year I think it’s a little bit more playable. You can attack in certain areas.”
