Rose Zhang wins Mark H. McCormack medal as world’s best female amateur

What do Rose Zhang, Leona Maguire and Lydia Ko have in common? The trio are all three-time Mark H. McCormack Medal winners.

Zhang, a rising sophomore at Stanford, won the McCormack Medal as the world’s best female amateur golfer for the third consecutive year, it was announced Wednesday. The award is given annually by the USGA and R&A to the top-ranked female player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Zhang has spent 101 consecutive week at No. 1 and is approaching Ko (130 weeks) and Maguire (135 weeks) on the all-time list.

“My amateur career continues to be incredibly rewarding and humbling,” said Zhang. “To be named the McCormack Medal recipient for the third time is a testament to the work I’ve put in and the support of those around me. This caps an incredible year and motivates me even further for the season ahead.”

As a freshman last year at Stanford, Zhang won the NCAA individual title by three shots and was named the winner of the 2022 ANNIKA Award, given annually to the player of the year in women’s college golf.

“Rose continues to do things in the amateur game we haven’t seen in quite some time,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s Chief Championships Officer. “Her talent on the course is unmatched, but more importantly, the role model she is for the younger generation and the way she represents the game is admirable and inspiring. All of us at the USGA congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing what’s next for her.”

“Rose has performed to a an extremely high level over the last three years and consistently demonstrated just how talented she is as a golfer. I congratulate Rose on the remarkable achievement of winning the McCormack Medal for the third consecutive year,” added the R&A’s Chief Technology Officer, Professor Steve Otto. “She has made a substantial contribution to amateur golf around the world and thoroughly deserves this recognition. We look forward to seeing her success continue.”