For the second year in a row, California girl Rose Zhang is the winner of the Mark McCormack Medal as the world's best amateur female golfer. The medal is given out annually to the leading golfer in the WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking). Zhang is the third golfer to win the medal twice, joining Lydia Ko and Leona Maguire. Zhang first won the honor in 2020.
Zhang won the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at age 17 in 2020. And although she was unable to successfully defend that championship in 2021, Zhang did win another USGA championship this year, the U.S. Girls' Junior. She is the eighth golfer to win both titles, but the first to do it by winning the Amateur first.
At the time the medal announcement was made, Zhang had been No. 1 in the WAGR for 47 consecutive weeks. In 2021, Zhang made the cut in an LPGA major, the Evian Championship, and finished third in the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship. She also had a runner-up finish in a Symetra Tour event.
In 2020, Zhang finished 11th in another LPGA major, the ANA Inspiration, won the U.S. Women's Amateur, won the Rolex Junior Girls Championship and Rolex Tournament of Champions, and also won The Ping Invitational.
Earlier in 2021, Zhang became the first female recipient of the Byron Nelson International Junior Award.
Photo via Instagram/@rose135z