Rose Zhang leads by two, stares down victory in first start as professional

There’s special, then there’s leading your first event as a professional special.

Rose Zhang falls into the second category, carrying a two-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA’s Mizuho Americas Open just 12 days after capturing her second consecutive national championship for the Stanford Cardinal. She’s the only woman to win the individual national championship twice.

Full-field scores from the Mizuho Americas Open

Despite breaking record after record throughout an illustrious amateur career, even Zhang is a little surprised to be in this position in her professional debut.

“I was expecting myself to scramble into the cut,” Zhang said. “That was the first priority for me. But I've been…