“I just have to work a little extra harder”: Rose Zhang opens up about her first major experience

20-year-old American golfer Rose Zhang made her major debut on the LPGA Tour at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship this weekend. She was performing extremely well until bogeys on the 13th and 16th holes effectively took away her chances of winning the Women's PGA Championship. Zhang finished T8 in her first major championship as a pro.

Despite the loss, Zhang appreciates the experience of getting so close on her major debut. She said (via the LPGA Tour):

"I felt so much support and love from the crowds out here. It's really cool that I was here in New Jersey at Mizuho the last couple weeks, and now I'm here at my first major. Safe to say it's super special, and I took it all in for sure. To be fair, the first week at Mizuho, it felt a little bit surreal. I didn't feel like I was a professional. I was straight-up coming from NCAAs, and it was kind of just a trial run in my opinion."

Zhang added that she didn't have many expectations regarding the weekend, as it was her first appearance at a major. She said:

"I wanted to see where my game ended up with the professionals and to see if I can able to be in contention on a good day, on a bad day, et cetera. It's really cool to see that my game is there, and I just have to work a little extra harder to play better."

With a win on her pro debut earlier this month and a top-10 finish in her first major, Rose Zhang seems destined for big things in her career.

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Despite top-10 finish, Rose Zhang is still pushing for better

A T8 finish in a major competition is good for any athlete, but especially for someone making their debut. However, Rose Zhang is not satisfied with top-10 and wants to keep improving.

Rose Zhang is ready for more

Zhang was "content" with the result, but wasn't happy with her performance as she felt that she made some "little mistakes." She said:

"I would say I'm content with the result. I'm not content with how I played. I'm really satisfied with my overall performance, but there's little mistakes that I made that you just can't really afford to make."

Zhang also said that it was a huge learning experience and that she'll continue improving for the upcoming US Women's Open. She added:

"When you're playing your game, you really have to be precise with your numbers, really understand what your swing is doing. There is no room for error. I'm excited to keep working on my game and make sure that it's pristine when I go to the U.S. Women's Open at Pebble."