Rose Zhang might have stepped away from the spotlight for a while, but her impact on the game continues to grow. At just 22, the LPGA prodigy already boasts a US Women’s Amateur title and back-to-back NCAA Division I Championships. And now, her efforts off the course are earning her just as much attention. Zhang has been named among the five nominees for the inaugural Dow Impact Award.

Introduced earlier this year at the Dow Championship, the award celebrates players who use their platform to make a difference beyond golf. Alongside names like Lexi Thompson and Gaby Lopez, Zhang’s nomination stands out. Her quiet but meaningful push to support financially struggling golfers has been one of a kind. In a recent Instagram video, she opened up about her latest project aimed at helping young athletes chase their dreams despite economic barriers.

Speaking about her motto, the LPGA star pointed out that the one thing that she cares about outside of the sport is community. According to the 22-year-old, teamwork is the main key to building a sustainable community. She also expressed her willingness to inspire others through her work, in turn, urging them to give back to society.

Detailing about her latest venture, Zhang said, “l’ve been giving back and helping the ACE grant program, which enables people who are not as financially able to travel across the country and play events, basically helping them with stipends and donating so that they may be able to have the same opportunities and get to play events, enabling them to later on play Division I golf or whatever division they want to play.” Surely, this is quite an impressive stand as golf is a pretty expensive sport. 

Zhang further noted that she was also involved with the ACE grant program while she was in her early days. While turning pro, the program helped her significantly, and now, she wants to give back as much as possible.

“I was also part of the ACE grant program when I was younger and now turning pro. It’s kind of been a very pivotal part of my life and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to give back as well” said Zhang.

Meanwhile, speaking about her professional career, despite making a ripple, the 22-year-old has decided to go on an extended break. The reason? Well, it’s a pretty special one.

Rose Zhang pauses LPGA tour to finish Stanford journey

Zhang had been quite a consistent athlete in her career. However, in a surprising turn of events, the LPGA star has opted out of the entire Fall Asian swing. The reason for this is that the 22-year-old is looking to go back to her school at Stanford. The emerging golfer and a 2x winner of the LPGA, wants to complete her degree in communications in coming March.

After winning back-to-back NCAA championships, Zhang stepped into the professional field. However, since then, she has been continuously struggling to draw a middle ground between her studies and her profession. She will be prioritizing her studies as of now. Heading into The Annika, Zhang is all set to miss two months of competition in the coming days. This is not the first time that Zhang will be missing LPGA action.

In 2025, the 22-year-old made just 13 starts. She had taken a break by skipping the spring Asian swing. Moreover, Zhang also missed one of the biggest events of the year, the Chevron Championship, due to a neck issue.