Rose Zhang shares emotional moment with Michelle Wie West after making LPGA history

Rose Zhang had her Tiger Woods’ “Hello World” moment on Sunday as she won her LPGA Tour debut in Michelle Wie West’s Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club. She defeated Jennifer Kupcho in the second playoff hole to capture the improbable title.

The world was watching history unfold. That moment between Zhang and Wie West was even more heartfelt. Wie West was crying and hugging Zhang tightly, and it was clear how much this moment meant to them both. They may have smushed the rose bouquet for Zhang, but that intimate moment between two generational players was so special.

Wie West watched Zhang coming down the stretch and couldn’t take her eyes off the 20-year-old. As someone who was in Zhang’s shoes not too long ago, she knew what this meant for women’s golf. These two are already connected, as they both signed a massive deal with Delta together earlier this week.

With the win, Zhang became the first woman since 1951 to win her LPGA Tour debut. But it’s even more impressive knowing that she was fresh off winning his second consecutive individual NCAA Championship. She became the first woman to ever accomplish that feat.

The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion knows how much pressure can weigh on a player as she dealt with it herself. For Zhang to win Wie West’s first event as a host clearly meant a lot to the five-time LPGA Tour winner.

Wie West and Zhang are similar because they both got so much attention as amateur golfers. There hasn’t been an American golfer since Wie West to get the attention Zhang is currently getting, and now she has backed it up with a one-of-one win on the LPGA Tour.