JERSEY CITY, NJ — Two-time NCAA champion Rose Chang became the first player in 72 years to win on the LPGA Tour in her pro debut, taking the Mizuho Americas Open into par in the second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho on Sunday.
Arriving on the LPGA with the most fanfare since Michelle Wie West in 2005, Zhang delivered in the shadow of the Big Apple. She went from NCAA Champion to LPGA Champion in the span of 13 days.
The last woman to win as a professional on her debut was Beverly Hanson, who edged out Babe Zaharias to take the Eastern Open in 1951.
Zhang hit two over 74 in the final round and missed a chance to win in regulation when she missed her 8-foot putt after making at least half a dozen clutch saves in a gutsy performance in the final round.
The 20-year-old from Stanford made nearly the same from 8-foot 18 at Liberty National in his first playoff game. Copshaw, who won the NCAA title at Wake Forest in 2018 and made a final round 69, hits par.
Both players hit the fairway on the 18th par on the second playoff hole, but Zhang hit the par 10-foot par. Kupcho was short on her approach, and her first putt went directly over the back edge of the green and missed her second putt. That left Zhang with two strokes to win.
Zhang raised her face in disbelief after the winning putt fell as the players celebrated with her by awarding her red roses, similar to when she won the Augusta National Amateur.
“What’s going on? I just can’t believe it,” she said in a television interview. “Just last week I won the NCAAs with my teammates, and to turn professional and come out here has been amazing.”
Zhang, playing on a shepherd’s exemption, had no birdie in her final round and finished on 9-under 279.
“This golf course is rough; I really got a little bit of everything. I got a taste of the pressure, I got a taste of the wind and tried to stay cool, as always,” Chang said. “I knew golf was just a grind and you had to dig deep, and that’s what I did again.”
South Korean rookie Hae-ran Ryu (70) finished third with 8 under.
Aditi Ashok of India, Ayaka Furyo of Japan and Eun Hee-ji of South Korea were seven. South Africa’s Ashleigh Bohai, Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Japan’s Yuka Saso finished 6-under, 3 shots behind the leaders.
Zhang turned pro last week after the NCAAs, and much was expected right away. She was the top-ranked women’s amateur for 141 weeks and won every major women’s amateur event—the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the U.S. Girls’ Junior, the NCAAs, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
“An incredible few weeks for Rose Zhang, defending her NCAA title and then winning her Pro. Go Card debut!” chirp Golf star Tiger Woods, who also attended Stanford University.
The victory was valued at $412,500 and also earned Zhang automatic membership on the LPGA Tour.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.