Rose Zhang was speechless when she saw Steph Curry's Instagram story about her win at the Mizuho Americas Open. In fact, she didn't even know it happened until her friends texted her, freaking out about the NBA superstar's post.

"There have been plenty of people that I've been shocked by and super happy that they reached out. One of my sports role models and role models in general, Steph Curry, he even put me on his story, just congratulating me," said Zhang during her pre-tournament press conference at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. "I couldn't really talk. I was just like, 'Oh, wow.' I had to look at the story for a couple of seconds before I gathered my thoughts.

"Usually, it would also be my other friends texting me that someone notable sent a story with me, so I was just reading the texts before I actually saw the stories. It was just like a, 'Oh, wow.' You just keep looking at your DMs, and you're just amazed by how encouraging they are."

There have been plenty of "oh, wow" moments for the 20-year-old since her historic victory at Liberty National Golf Club. She appeared on the "Today Show" and "SportsCenter" as part of her media tour following the win. She's announced a new partnership with Audible, Amazon's audiobook and podcast platform.

Rose takes NYC 🏆🗽🌹@TODAYshow ➡️ @rockcenternyc ➡️ @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/VcrVsLTT1S
— LPGA (@LPGA) June 7, 2023

And she's quickly become one of the most recognizable names and faces in the women's golf space, with players like Tiger Woods tweeting about her incredible performance.

Incredible few weeks for Rose Zhang, defends her NCAA title and then wins in her Pro debut. Go card!
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) June 5, 2023

But Zhang still had to return to Stanford University, take finals, and move out of her dorm room. While her career on the golf course may have dramatically changed, her life away from the game has not. She's still a college student and a daughter and a sister and an aunt, still just Rose when golf isn't a factor.

"I feel like it's crazy to say that other than all the additional press interviews and all the extra attention, my life hasn't really changed as drastically as everyone may think. It's just super busy, obviously, and there's a lot more happening," said Zhang. "The people around me, they haven't really changed, and I appreciate that because they are a sense of like normalcy when I'm around them, especially back home.

"I was playing with my niece in the last three days that I was at home. Obviously, my niece is two and a half. She's not going to know that I won a tournament, or she doesn't even know that I play golf. I go back home, and everything is just very relaxed, and I have a good time."

Zhang is making her first start in a major as a professional this week at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Springfield, N.J. at Baltusrol Golf Club's restored Lower Course. Major championships are always ripe with expectations for the world's best players, and many are waiting with bated breath to see how Zhang stacks up under these conditions against top-notch talent in players like Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko. But the two-time NCAA national champion remains unfazed and won't be treating this week any differently than the 10 other majors she's played in, wanting to keep a level head as the storm of media attention and sponsor obligations and relentless speculation swirls around her.

"I've played major championships before as an amateur, and with that amateur status, I kept in mind, 'Hey, I'm just going to go out here, have a learning experience,' and it's been turning out well for me," Zhang said. "I've played well in the major championships that I've competed in, but if anything, this week isn't necessarily anything different. I would compare this week to other weeks, whether it's in college golf or even last week at Mizuho.

"It's super exciting, no doubt. But I wouldn't say it's anything different. I wouldn't place it on another platform or pedestal for me to just admire and look up to. It's another event. I'm still playing the same sport. I'm just in New Jersey again and trying to play well."

Playing well could look like winning, finishing in the top 10, or just making the cut for Zhang. It's hard to tell. But if there's anything that the California native can draw confidence from as she looks ahead to another momentous occasion in her young career, it's that win at Liberty National and what it taught her about her game in comparison with the LPGA Tour's best players, what it showed her she could do on golf's grandest stage.

"I definitely did not expect myself to be in that position at all going into Mizuho and that entire week," she said. "But it was more just validation for myself to say that, hey, I can compete at the highest level, and as long as I do what I need to, as long as I perform as well as I can, I'll be able to be in contention week in and week out.

"Ideally, the LPGA life is the dream life where you can come out here, play the sport as your profession, and just have a good time with friends out on Tour. It's really cool to see how I was able to just go right into it and start out my career."

Rose Zhang Reflects on Blossoming of Career Since Mizuho Win

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