Always striving to be better but never knowing when you’re better—this is the mantra for Rose Zhang, who has been making headlines in the golf world. She has been associated with golf for as long as she can remember. The first time she ever touched a golf club and hit the ball was as a nine-year-old. The LPGA Tour star saw her father swinging his seven iron and making contact with a golf ball in their family’s backyard.
She screamed, “I can do that,” and soon after, she could hit the ball herself. This was the moment she knew there was no turning back. Haibin Zhang, her father, was her inspiration and guide behind her success today. Seeing her swing the club, he knew she had a natural talent and seemed to enjoy the game. That decision completely changed the life of the Chinese professional golfer forever.
Rose Zhang is of Chinese descent, as both her parents were born and raised in China. However, she currently lives in Arcadia, California, making her an American professional golfer on the Tour. Haibin Zhang and Li Cai married in 1993 and moved to the United States before Zhang and her older brother, Bill Sida, were born. Moving to America was indeed the best decision her parents ever made.
Rose Zhang: An avid player of everything
Before Rose Zhang even discovered golf, she was already involved in many other sports. She went swimming and played tennis during her school days. This was because her father enrolled her in every sport possible to see what clicked. He wanted to figure out which sport she had potential in. Being an avid golfer himself, he understood the perks of being an athlete and where it could take a person.
She still abides by a statement that her father had once told her. “If you stay disciplined and practice and get better then there’s potential … If you play well enough, we keep working hard and playing. If you don’t play well enough, it’s going to be just a hobby.” This is what has been getting her across oceans even as a 21-year-old.
