Rose Zhang: Rose Zhang reveals playing through a wrist injury since 2020: "I was really not just being smart"

Rose Zhang's stock has been on the rise since 2020. She won the US Women's Amateur, finished 11th in the LPGA Major ANA Inspiration, became AJGA's Rolex Junior Player of the Year, and reached the World no. 1 Amateur.

Considering her tall order of achievements, it was shocking when she recently revealed that she had been playing through a wrist injury since 2020. At the HGV Tournament's press conference, Zhang shared that she sustained the injury by practicing extensively on the thin mats in her parents' garage.

However, to keep up with her performance, the then-17-year-old golfer didn't pay much heed to the injury and would take four Advils in the morning and evening to keep up with her form. Zhang acknowledged she wasn't being "smart" and said:

"I was just not being smart. There were no classes either. It was online. I was a junior in high school. I had nothing better to do. Not good."

Zhang later incurred wrist impingement and the injury soon caught up with her.

"It didn't really do well with my left wrist. It seemed like I got tendinitis and then it became wrist impingement," she said via Golf Week.

After closing her 2020 season, the ace golfer finally gave herself some much-needed rest.

"After the U.S. Women's Open (in December) I rested for around a month and a half. I putted a little bit but not a lot," she added.

The injury had cropped up again at the Solheim Cup but she still played through till the CME Group Tour Championship. The injury and her classes at Stanford University took slight precedence over her practice in the off-season this year.

Rose Zhang is currently playing at the HGV Tournament of Champions and will next be seen in action at the Ford Championship at the end of March.

When will Rose Zhang tee off in Round 3 of the HGV Tournament of Champions?

Rose Zhang will tee off at 9:46 am ET in the Round 3 of the HGV Tournament of Champions. Here's taking a look at the full tee times for Round 3 (please note all times are in ET):

08:40 AM (1) Cheyenne Knight
08:40 AM (10) Angel Yin
08:51 AM (1) Minjee Lee
08:51 AM (10) Ayaka Furue
09:02 AM (1) Celine Boutier
09:02 AM (10) Brooke M. Henderson
09:13 AM (1) Hannah Green
09:13 AM (10) Allisen Corpuz
09:24 AM (1) Pajaree Anannarukarn
09:24 AM (10) Ashleigh Buhai
09:35 AM (1) Yuka Saso
09:35 AM (10) Amy Yang
09:46 AM (1) Rose Zhang
09:46 AM (10) Elizabeth Szokol
09:57 AM (1) Hyo Joo Kim
09:57 AM (10) Haeran Ryu
10:08 AM (1) Lauren Coughlin
10:08 AM (10) Patty Tavatanakit
10:19 AM (1) Lydia Ko
10:19 AM (10) Megan Khang
10:30 AM (1) Jin Young Ko
10:30 AM (10) Alexa Pano
10:41 AM (1) Leona Maguire
10:41 AM (10) Chanettee Wannasaen
10:52 AM (1) Rio Takeda
10:52 AM (10) Bailey Tardy
11:03 AM (1) Nelly Korda
11:03 AM (10) Moriya Jutanugarn
11:14 AM (1) Linn Grant
11:14 AM (10) Jasmine Suwannapura, Linnea Strom
11:25 AM (1) A Lim Kim

About the author

Ira Deokule is a dedicated sports journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in Golf and other sports such as swimming, bodybuilding, gymnastics, and track and field. With a post-graduate degree in Media and Communication Studies from DMCS, SPPU, Pune, and a specialization in Video Production, she combines her academic background with practical experience as a national-level track and field athlete.

Ira's journalistic journey includes freelancing for FirstSportz during the Tokyo Olympics, where her articles gained significant recognition. She prioritizes accuracy and ethics, relying on verified sources and personal expertise to provide insightful, engaging content. Her unique perspective as an athlete enriches her understanding of sports dynamics, allowing her to write with neutrality and respect for her subjects.

Outside of journalism, Ira enjoys writing creative pieces, reading, dancing, and exploring filmmaking. She draws inspiration from trailblazing female golfers like Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, whose achievements have elevated the visibility of women's golf. Ira aspires to cover iconic events like The Masters and is interested in the evolving landscape of golf, including the impact of LIV Golf.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar