U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

July 6, 2023

Rose Zhang

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Quick Quotes

Q. How do you feel like the round went out there today? What were some of the spots you maybe were --

ROSE ZHANG: Definitely. It was a bit of a struggle out there. I felt like the game in general was pretty solid. It was just the mishap on 8 that kind of turned my entire round a little bit.

But I felt like I was just trying to grind out there. Trying to get some numbers in. Hopefully tomorrow I can just have a good days' rest and then play well in the morning.

Q. The approach into 8, what did you use?

ROSE ZHANG: I used 4 hybrid. It was 202 to the hole. The wind was helping, but it was a very poor shot, especially if you're going to hit it right; then you better club up.

So unfortunately went into the hazard, and then I hit a really good iron shot, so it could have been a little bit worse. Could have made a triple there. But kind of shook it off and then went on to No. 9 and then didn't make a putt on 10.

I felt like in general I was pretty steady.

Q. On 17, was your heart racing a little bit? Looked like it was going in.

ROSE ZHANG: It looked really, really good. I definitely knew right was not a place to miss. Once I saw where my ball was, I couldn't even think about even putting it. So it was a really good shot. It was a bit risky but I felt like that was the shot of the day.

Q. How much did you do that in competition in the past, chipped on the green?

ROSE ZHANG: Funny thing is I've never done that before in competition. Yeah, first time. So there is always something new. (Laughter.)

Q. How about in practice?

ROSE ZHANG: In practice I definitely have. It's just as people -- when I'm practicing with my teammates we all have a bit of fun and we like to practice wedges on greens.

So it's a bit of a fun game, but it's weird that it's actually in practice when I'm not playing.

Q. Were you aware of Gary Woodland's shot in 2019 on that hole?

ROSE ZHANG: No, I'm not aware of it, but if someone could fill me in.

Q. It was similar.

ROSE ZHANG: It was similar? (Laughter.)

Q. (Indiscernible.)

ROSE ZHANG: Oh, yeah. Oh, my gosh. He's incredible. I was able to talk to him at Merion when I did the Bank of America outing. The entire time, just such a standup guy and really honored.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

ROSE ZHANG: Dude, that's crazy. Wait.

Q. Are you watching Woodland?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah. Oh. Wait, wait, wait. I did see this shot. Hold on. Hold on. Okay, okay. I did see this shot. (Laughter.)

Q. It's all coming back to you now.

ROSE ZHANG: It's all coming back. Yeah, I don't know where I was, but it was definitely on TV.

Q. What was it like to play this course in a U.S. Open competition?

ROSE ZHANG: Definitely very different. Pin locations were tucked very close to the edges, and even if you do hit a great shot, sometimes you're -- I guess you're punished fore going at the pin and being really aggressive.

So that's something that was different from college golf. And tees were longer, too. That minimizes your birdie chances. And even if you are playing solid golf, less birdies equal higher scores.

So no matter how well you play, you just have to really minimize your mistakes. So try to gain momentum from any birdie opportunities you have.

Q. That chip shot is probably going to go viral, and you had another interesting viral moment earlier in the week. What did you think of that when you saw that?

ROSE ZHANG: First of all, I had no idea that happened, and no one in my group knew either, from the caddies to my own teammates who I was playing with.

Even the Callaway people that posted the video, they didn't know until like people actually pointed it out left and right.

And, yeah, I don't think that'll ever happen again, but it's pretty crazy that it happened on No. 7, the iconic hole.

That's a video that I'll save forever. I don't think I can ever do that again. (Laughter.)

Q. The legend grows.

ROSE ZHANG: Unintentional sorcery.

Q. How did you feel about the crowds today and the support out there?

ROSE ZHANG: It was incredible. I'm so lucky to just have people out there watching me and supporting me. No matter how I play I feel like in general they're just out here trying to cheer me on and help me do my best.

It's really nice because I have a lot of family, friends who came up from Southern California. My own mom and brother came and they never really watch me play at all. This is the first time my brother ever actually watched me play, so it's really, really special.

But I've been feeling the love for sure.

Q. Why does your brother not watch you?

ROSE ZHANG: He doesn't play golf. He thinks it's too slow-paced for him. He's -- yeah, I don't think he ever found an interest to watch me. He has watched me on TV though, so at least he's cheering me on. At least I know he's supporting me.

Q. When was the last time your mom watched you in person?

ROSE ZHANG: My mom watched me at Palos Verdes last -- this past year. It was a collegiate event and I was able to win in front of her, which was the first time she actually watched me the entire tournament, so that was really special.

So it was -- everything is new this year. My family is actually out here watching me. Even though my dad follows me everywhere, it's really nice to have my mom and brother come.

Q. Does it feel differently knowing they're out there watching you?

ROSE ZHANG: It doesn't feel different, but definitely off the golf course it feels nicer just to be able to talk to them. These are two people that don't really know anything about golf and they usually just come out and think anything is good, so it's really nice to gain that closure and have that support.

Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...