Rose Zhang is looking to track down her second career LPGA Tour victory in just the 12th start of her rookie season at the inaugural Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After opening with rounds of 65 and 68, the former of which was the 20-year-old’s career-low score on the LPGA Tour, Zhang carded another 65 on Saturday at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, making one bogey and eight birdies to take a one-shot lead over Jasmine Suwannapura and Atthaya Thitikul into the final round.
She got off to a fast start, rattling off three consecutive birdies on holes 2, 3 and 4 to move to 14-under overall, and then made two more birdies on the par-4 7th hole and par-5 9th hole to turn in 31. Zhang grabbed another birdie on No. 10, now sitting at 17-under for the tournament, and parred 11, 12 and 13 before slipping up with a bogey on No. 14. She recovered immediately with a birdie on the par-3 15th hole, and after parring 16 and 17, Zhang picked up one more birdie on the par-5 18th hole to post a 65 and sit at 18-under overall.
It's the second time that the Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion has held the 54-hole lead/co-lead on the LPGA Tour. The last time she did so was at the Mizuho Americas Open, which Zhang went on to win, defeating Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff to capture her first professional victory in her pro debut and earn immediate LPGA Tour membership. Her three-day total of 198 is a new career-low 54-hole score for the rookie, besting her previous record of 205 by seven strokes, and it’s the first time that she has recorded three straight rounds in the 60s on the LPGA Tour.
Zhang has been putting a big emphasis on her mental game this week in Malaysia and credits her commitment to the daily game plan she and her caddie, Olly Brett, draw up each round as the reason for her continued consistency at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. Limiting mistakes has also been a big key for the rookie this week, something she feels like she did well on Saturday, particularly late in her third round.
For the share of the lead at -15! 💪@rosezhang | @maybankchampion pic.twitter.com/Nus013hhp6
— LPGA (@LPGA) October 28, 2023
“Every single day, you're fatigued after all the heat and the humidity out on the golf course. For me, it was just making sure that I had my game plan in mind right before I head out, right after the round, and overall staying committed to every single shot, every single line I had out there, it was essential,” said Zhang. “I think the most important thing out here is just making sure you're making less mistakes. On 17, I made a little whoopsie, but I came back and fought back and stayed composed, and I think that's the biggest thing, just being able to stay in the moment.”
While she ultimately emerged with the 54-hole lead, Zhang definitely had to wrestle it away from 18- and 36-hole leader Suwannapura, who also carded her third straight round in the 60s on Moving Day. The rookie often admits that she still has plenty to learn about competing – and winning – on the LPGA Tour and relishes every opportunity she gets to do so, especially when she’s in contention for a victory.
Sunday will be the first time she’s started a final round with the lead since her historic win at Liberty National Golf Club, and Zhang is as ready as ever to tackle this latest challenge, feeling good about where her game is at with 18 holes to go at the Maybank Championship.
“I say this every week, but I feel like I'm learning so much from all the professionals out here on Tour,” Zhang said. “They really show they're world-class, and Jasmine (Suwannapura), I never expected anything less. It was really incredible to watch, and I feel like I'm still learning, so there is just much to improve on, and I'm really happy that I'm able to fight alongside the best in the world.
“I feel really great. I just feel like being able to have this opportunity to come into the final round with a little bit of a lead is great. I think that going forward, it's just making sure I'm having fun, having that game plan and enjoying every single moment.”
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