This honor, presented by the Seattle Sports Commission (SSC), was created in 1936 and is one of the longest-running sports awards in the United States. As a freshman in high school, Zhang is already a record-breaking, title-holding golfer, and she is only 14 years old. “I am extremely honored to have been nominated for such a prestigious award. It means so much to be recognized alongside many other accomplished female athletes and motivates me to continue to grow,” Zhang said.

Zhang moved to the Bellevue area at the age of 5 and, soon after, her passion for golf began to sprout. At just 7 years old, her father Kevin Zhang introduced her to the sport and her family has continued to play an integral role in her career ever since. “I certainly would not be where I am now without all their support. My dad has always been there to offer guidance. My older brother also plays golf, so it is really fun to be able to enjoy time on the course with him,” Zhang explained, “a big part of my success in golf has been just having fun and genuinely enjoying what I do. It keeps me driven and motivated to work hard and achieve the best results that I can. The tremendous support I receive from family, friends, and others around me has meant a lot as well.”

Not only has the support she has gotten through the years driven her success in golf, but her sheer talent has taken her far and proven her an extremely dominant player. “In the 2023 season, Zhang sank a 25-foot putt in a playoff to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, becoming the youngest player, at age 14, in that national championship held at Pebble Beach. She had won the Washington Women’s Amateur in 2022, being the youngest player, at age 13, to win that state championship, and then repeated the feat in 2023 for her second consecutive title. At The Home course in DuPont, she set the women’s course record with a 7-under par 65 to win the Washington Champion of Champions by 11 strokes. Also, in 2023 she won seven WJGA titles, including the state title. So dominant was she in 2023 that Washington Golf named her the Player of the Year in both the Women’s and Junior Girls’ categories,” WA Golf reported.

The lessons Zhang has learned through her career not only influence her success but guide her through her everyday life as well. As she explained, “The most important thing I have learned through golf is to stay patient and calm when things aren’t going my way as well as to have a positive mindset. It is easy to get frustrated when you hit a bad shot, but it almost always works out for the better to remain calm no matter the circumstance, in golf and in life."

At a young age, she has proven herself an inspiration to athletes everywhere, and her impact on the sport will change the game forever. “I hope to be able to leave Washington Golf in a better place than I found it and to inspire young girls in Washington to take up the game of golf. Historically, golf has never been a huge sport up here, but in the past few years it has seen huge growth, especially with more juniors getting into the sport and more playing opportunities. I hope to play a part in helping grow the game,” Zhang said.

In the upcoming years, Zhang would like to play college golf at an academically and athletically prestigious school, as well as to one day play at the professional level. Given all her accomplishments thus far, she is sure to have a bright future wherever she goes!