Golf Betting Odds For Historic Rose Zhang LPGA Win In First Start
History was made at Liberty National on Sunday and I was fortunate enough to have a front row seat to watch it all unfold. Rose Zhang continues to etch her name into the record books at the age of 20, winning Michelle Wie’s inaugural Mizuho Americas Open in her first ever LPGA Tour start in a dramatic playoff over former Major champion, Jennifer Kupcho.
She’ll now head back to class this week with a new trophy, $412,500, and full time membership on the LPGA Tour. Born the year LeBron James was drafted into the NBA, Rose Zhang may have the most decorated and hyped pre-professional resume of any athlete since The King himself. Here’s a look back at the historical context behind one of the biggest rising young phenoms the world of sports has seen in decades.
The Rose Zhang Win By The Sports Betting Odds
Given her sheer dominance on the Junior golf and collegiate levels, Rose Zhang’s was no longshot story, even despite it being her first career professional start on the LPGA Tour.
She opened pre-tournament at about 40-1 consensus odds to win the Mizuho Americas Open outright. In the field of 120 professionals (playing alongside AJGA amateurs in this new and unique format), there were about twelve players favored ahead of Zhang to win. In the final round, Zhang was paired with pre-tournament favorite Atthaya Thitkul, who opened at 8-1 odds, in the final group. On Sunday, it was Rose who rose to the occasion best, as a +4 final round for Thitkul dropped her down to a T10 finish.
For some context, Ludvig Aberg was the #1 men’s collegiate golfer this year and is in this week’s 2023 RBC Canadian Open field similarly by special invite. He has opened at 50-1 outright odds pre-tournament, which is a testament to Rose’s relative dominance over her counterparts to have opened 10 points shorter.
- Men’s U.S. Open golf odds for next week! Check the latest from sportsbooks.
Historical Context
While winning at 40-1 opening odds may not sound improbable for a golfer, the manner in which Rose Zhang won was nothing short of unprecedented.
In her collegiate career, Zhang became the first player to win the NCAA Women’s Division I individual title in back-to-back years. She is the first golfer, man or woman, to achieve back-to-back wins since Phil Mickelson in 1989-1990. With a total of 12 wins over 20 career college starts, Zhang has a legitimate claim as the greatest collegiate golfer ever. When you attend Tiger Woods‘ Alma Mater and reach accolades even Tiger never could, it’s fair to say you’ve earned the labels of phenom, prodigy, superstar, etc.
Zhang is the first player since Beverly Hanson 72 years ago to win an LPGA event in her pro debut.
She is the first player ever to win the NCAA Division I individual title and an LPGA Event in the same season, doing so just two weeks apart.
She is also the first sponsor invite to win on the LPGA Tour since Lydia Ko in 2013, and is assuredly the most hyped young phenom to burst onto the LPGA scene since Ko.
What’s Next for Rose Zhang
Now officially a member of the LPGA Tour by way of her Mizuho Americas Open win, Zhang is qualified to play in this week’s Shoprite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey. Unfortunately, according to her post-win press conference, she has a scheduling conflict. She’ll fly back to California to finish up a grueling week of finals at Stanford University.
She has said finals are her top priority now with the Mizuho Americas Open behind her, so it’s unclear at this time when we will see Rose on the course next. An LPGA win does qualify her for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol on June 22nd, so a return trip back to New Jersey for her first Major Championship seems like the most logical next step. It will be interesting to track where her KPMG Women’s PGA Championship odds open if that is the next time we see her.
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