Rose Zhang makes impressive pro major debut at KPMG Women's PGA Championship
Rose Zhang fired an opening-round 70 in her professional major championship debut.
Rose Zhang continues to impress the golf world at just 20 years old.
The young phenom broke countless records throughout a historic amateur career that was capped with back-to-back NCAA individual titles.
Zhang, who played for Stanford University, became the first woman to accomplish back-to-back titles in the history of the event.
In doing so, she also elevated her win count at Stanford to 12, breaking the previous record she shared with three other former players, including Tiger Woods.
Shortly after, the California product announced she would be turning professional and planned to make her debut at the LPGA Tour's inaugural Mizuho Americas Open.
And with rounds of 70, 69, 66, and 74, she found herself in a playoff at the tournament with fellow former Augusta National Women's Amateur winner Jennifer Kupcho.
After two extra holes, Zhang defeated her fellow American.
With it, she became the first woman since 1951 to win on the LPGA Tour in their professional debut.
Now, Zhang is back in New Jersey for her first major championship as a professional.
And in her first round at the storied Baltusrol for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Zhang did not disappoint.
The newest golf star shot an opening-round 1-under 70 and was tied for 12th after 18 holes. She was just four strokes back of leader Lee-Anne Pace.
"I think I'm very satisfied with how the score turned out," Zhang told reporters following her round. "Took a couple bumps in between to get there. I feel like my putting was a little bit off the entire way, but I also put myself in positions where I was giving myself 60-footers probably four or five holes in a row.
World No. 10 Brooke Henderson was one of three players tied for second. The Canadian won the tournament back in 2016 for her first major title at just 18 years old.
"Anytime you're near the top of the leaderboard, it's a lot of fun, especially on the weekend," she told reporters following the round. "Hopefully I can play well tomorrow and get in those final groups and then just go out and try to play good golf."
Henderson was one-stroke back after shooting a 4-under par 67.
Leona Maguire, who won last week's Meijer LPGA Classic, was part of the large group two strokes back in a tie for sixth.
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who has a chance to break the record of total number of weeks at the top spot, was at 1-over par.
No. 2 Nelly Korda was 10 strokes back at 5-over par.
