14-year-old Angela Zhang of Bellevue qualifies for U.S. Women's Open
14-year-old Angela Zhang of Bellevue, Wash. earns a spot in the U.S. Women's Open after surviving a four-for-two playoff at sectional qualifying at Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa. on May 9, 2023. (photo courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Golf Association)
Angela Zhang – a 14-year-old golf phenom from Bellevue – earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open after surviving a four-for-two playoff at sectional qualifying at Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Tuesday.
Zhang, who turned 14 on May 5, sank a 25-foot putt for birdie on the second playoff hole to punch her ticket to the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be held at Pebble Beach Golf Links July 6-9.
It’s the first time Pebble Beach has been the host site for a women’s major championship. The course serves as an annual PGA Tour stop and has hosted the U.S. Open six different times.
Zhang posted scores of 70 and 73 over the 36-hole qualifier on the 6,250-yard, par 71 layout at Shannopin Country Club. She finished regulation play tied with three other players for the best score of the day. However, only two players would make it through to Pebble Beach. Zhang and former USC golfer and Epson Tour pro Amelia Garvey survived the playoff to clinch the two spots.
Zhang is the reigning Washington Women’s Amateur champion and Washington State Golf Association Girls Junior Player of the Year. Zhang won the state amateur while just 13 years old with a one-shot victory over Darcy Habgood at Moses Lake Golf Club last June. She followed that up with a Washington Junior Girls State Championship at Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club, becoming the youngest winner of the overall championship in history.
In total, Zhang won four American Junior Golf Association tournaments and seven Washington Junior Golf Association tournaments in 2022. Already this year Zhang has won two more WJGA tournaments, finished as medalist in stroke play at the WJGA Match Play, and qualified as co-medalist for the IMG Academy Junior World championship.
Just two weeks ago, Zhang won the WSGA’s Champion of Champions tournament at the Home Course in Dupont by 11 shots over University of Washington sophomore Kennedy Knox. Zhang shot a women’s course record of 65 and a second round 70 to clinch yet another title.
Zhang will be back at the Home Course beginning this weekend for the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball championship. Zhang and fellow 14-year old Alice Ziyi Zhao earned medalist honors in qualifying for the event last September.
Zhao, while 13 years old last summer, was a co-medalist in stroke play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay Golf Course along with LSU’s Latanna Stone and Kentucky’s Laney Frye.
At age 9 in 2019, Zhang also won the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals for her age group at Augusta National Golf Club.
UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA - SEPTEMBER 09: Claire Kung (L) Angela Zhang (M) and Zoe Moore after finishing as the top three in the girls 7-9 group during The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Chambers Bay on September 9, 2018 in University Place, Washing