“I’m thinking B” - Rookie standouts Rose Zhang and Hae Ran Ryu evaluate their debut seasons

Rose Zhang and Hae Ran Ryu had tremendous rookie seasons on the LPGA Tour. They both won frequently and showed that they have staying power even in their first season on the tour.

Zhang laughed and thought about the question:

"I'm thinking... Mmm... I'm thinking B. A solid B. What? Why?"

Ran Ryu was astonished by the answer. She couldn't believe that Zhang would give herself that low. Zhang, on the other hand, believed that Ryu's season was worthy of an A grade since she won Rookie of the Year. Ryu didn't necessarily agree, laughing while saying:

"B+?"

These two finished the year very well. Ryu was ranked 29th in the world after her award-winning season. Not to be outdone, Zhang actually stood a bit higher on the Rolex rankings at 26.

Those rankings will likely continue to rise as the two keep getting better. One's first year on tour is often not their best, especially if they have talent and every indicator says that these two do.

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Rose Zhang, Hae Ran Ryu looking forward to next season

Rose Zhang is pretty pleased that her season was good, but she's ready to put it behind her. She's planning on taking a full course load now, so she won't have time to commit as much:

"I'll be kind of taking that time to go back and study in person. And we have the Asia swing, Florida swing, so it's to be determined on whether or not I'm playing those yet."

She also added that this was "a very different world" that she didn't imagine herself being in right now. After an intensely demanding season that she believes was only worth a B grade, Zhang is feeling exhaustion:

"I'm feeling a little dead. I'm not going to lie. It's been quite a long journey I would say. Even though it's only five weeks, it's still pretty significant, tolling on the body. So I'm kind of glad this will be my last one."

She added:

"Yes, you have your responsibilities and obligations for media, sponsor outings, but ultimately you have to learn how to take care of yourself and your own work, your own craft, and that's to be playing at your best on the golf course."

She's learned a lot during her rookie season, as did Ryu. They both have incredibly bright futures, but they're obviously not resting on their laurels in giving themselves less than A grades for their work.

As for Hae Ran Ryu, she recently reflected on her impressive award victory via ESPN:

"I'm honored to earn the Rookie of the Year award and add my name to the prestigious list of winners before me. This year has been a memorable one, and I'm proud of what I've been able to accomplish on the LPGA Tour. I'm forever grateful to my team and fans for their support over my first season, and I can't wait to close out the year at the CME Group Tour Championship."

She'll have a bit of pressure on her to replicate the success she saw in her rookie season. That'll be true of Zhang, too, who evidently has Tiger Woods' attention on her.

These two golfers are primed for great careers, but they will have to work hard to ensure they don't fail to live up to the hype they've created.