Irvine

Zhang catapulted to No. 1 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking late in the summer when she defeated defending champion Gabriela Ruffels in the 36-hole championship match of the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur, and then outdueled the Australian for low-amateur honors a month later in the ANA Inspiration. Zhang made a brilliant up-and-down par on the 36th hole to force extra holes and then won the match on the 38th hole. By being No. 1 in the WAGR, Zhang was awarded the McCormack Medal for 2020. In 2019, Zhang advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior and helped the USA win a mixed team gold medal in the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. The Irvine, Calif., resident has signed to play for Stanford University in the fall of 2021.