LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND (Aug. 17, 2022) – Rose Zhang, of Irvine, Calif., has won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading women’s player in the 2022 World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®).

This is Zhang’s third consecutive McCormack Medal, emulating previous three-time medallists Leona Maguire and Lydia Ko. It is her 101st consecutive week at number one, leaving her behind only Maguire at 135 weeks and Ko at 130 in the overall record.

Zhang enjoyed another year of outstanding golf, winning her first three collegiate starts in her Stanford freshman year at the Molly Collegiate Invitational, the Windy City Collegiate Classic and the Stanford Intercollegiate. She became the first Stanford player — male or female — to win her first three collegiate starts and did not finish out of the top ten in her first seven starts.

After securing a T12 finish at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, Zhang went on to win the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Championship by three shots. On the day of her 19th birthday, she received the ANNIKA Award for best women’s college golfer of the year. She then clinched Stanford’s second NCAA team title by winning the final match.

Zhang played a leading role in the USA team’s victory over Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup Match at Merion, winning two of her four matches.

Zhang also performed well in her major championship appearances, winning the Smyth Salver as the leading amateur at the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield, finishing tied 40th in the U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica and tied for 65th at the Amundi Evian Championship. Later this month, she will compete for the USA Team at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship.

 “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.”

The R&A and the USGA jointly award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.

“Rose continues to do things in the amateur game we haven’t seen in quite some time,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer, USGA. “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.”

Professor Steve Otto, Chief Technology Officer at The R&A, said, “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. 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.”

The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses nearly 3,300 counting events, ranking 4,629 players from 110 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,300 counting events with more than 2,867 ranked players from 88 countries.

About WAGR®
The World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®, which comprises a women’s ranking and a men’s ranking for elite amateur players, is offered by The R&A and the USGA as a global service to golf. Through incorporation and assessment worldwide of both amateur and professional events, WAGR encourages the international development of the competitive game. The ranking endeavours to be the most comprehensive and accurate ranking in golf by effectively comparing players from around the world who may never directly compete against one another. It is available to national federations and organisers of amateur and professional events and tours as a criterion for tournament field selection and for purposes of exemptions, national team selection, and orders of merit.

About The Mark H. McCormack Medal

The award is named after Mark H. McCormack, the late founder of sports marketing company IMG and an avid supporter of amateur golf. The Mark H. McCormack Medal is awarded to the player ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR® after the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship or the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship, whichever concludes last. Established in 2007, the same award goes to the player leading the men’s ranking after the European Amateur Championship or U.S. Amateur Championship, whichever concludes last.

Previous Winners
Men: 2021 Keita Nakajima (JAP), 2020 Takumi Kanaya (JAP), 2019 Cole Hammer (USA), 2018 Braden Thornberry (USA), 2017 Joaquin Niemann (Chile), 2016 Maverick McNealy (USA), 2015 Jon Rahm (ESP), 2014 Oliver Schniederjans (USA), 2013 Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), 2012 Chris Williams (USA), 2011 Patrick Cantlay (USA), 2010 Peter Uihlein (USA), 2009 Nick Taylor (CAN), 2008 Danny Lee (NZL), 2007 Colt Knost (USA).

Women: 2022, 2021, 2020 Rose Zhang (USA), 2019 Andrea Lee (USA), 2018 Jennifer Kupcho (USA), 2017, 2016, 2015 Leona Maguire (IRE), 2014 Minjee Lee (AUS), 2013, 2012, 2011 Lydia Ko (NZL).

About the USGA  
The USGA is a nonprofit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment, handicapping and amateur status rules. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org. 

About The R&A

Based in St Andrews, The R&A runs The Open, elite amateur events, international matches and rankings. Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions but sharing a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 41 million golfers in 144 countries and with the consent of 159 organisations from amateur and professional golf,

The R&A is committed to working for golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally and the development and management of sustainable golf facilities.

For more information visit RandA.org