Clifton, NJ—Rose Zhang secures her second career victory on the LPGA Tour with an impressive display at the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup. The 20-year-old golfer, who clinched her first professional win just a year ago at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open, now adds another remarkable triumph to her burgeoning career.
Throughout the tournament, Zhang, alongside Madelene Sagstrom, showcased dominance, maintaining a substantial lead of at least 10 strokes over the competition. Starting the final day trailing Sagstrom by only one stroke, Zhang began her last round with three consecutive pars before igniting her game with back-to-back birdies on the 4th and 5th holes. Despite a relatively quiet stretch, she rallied towards the end with birdies on holes 14, 15, 17, and 18, culminating in a stellar final-round score of 66. Zhang concluded her stellar performance at the Upper Montclair Country Club with a 24-under par, setting a new tournament scoring record at the course.
Reflecting on her victory, Zhang described the day as a roller coaster ride, acknowledging the challenging weather conditions and the formidable competition posed by Sagstrom. Her focus remained steadfast on navigating through the round, devoid of any specific expectations, yet driven by the determination to perform her best.
Zhang’s exceptional statistics for the week underscored her prowess on the course, leading in categories such as most birdies, greens hit in regulation, and fewest number of putts among the tournament field. Notably, this marked the first instance of her carding four rounds in the 60s since joining the LPGA Tour.
Runner-up Sagstrom, despite a strong start, couldn’t maintain her lead, eventually succumbing to Zhang’s relentless performance in the closing stages. Sagstrom acknowledged the encouraging influence of playing alongside Zhang, whose consistent and impressive play elevated her own performance throughout the tournament.
For Sagstrom, this tournament marked one of her finest performances on the LPGA Tour in recent years, propelling her to a significant jump in the Race to the CME Globe standings.
Looking ahead, Zhang sets her sights on defending her title at the upcoming Mizuho Americas Open, scheduled to take place at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., just a short distance from where she clinched her maiden victory.
