Stanford’s Zhang joins small club with Junior, U.S. Amateur crowns

Rose Zhang captured the U.S. Girls’ Junior on Saturday at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md., beating local favorite Bailey Davis 6 and 4 in the 36hole final to become the eighth player to win both the junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Zhang, 18, won the amateur 11 months ago at Woodmont Country Club, only eight miles away in Rockville. She’s the only of the eight to capture the amateur before the junior.

“To be able to win in such a grueling week, it’s truly amazing,” said Zhang, the top-ranked amateur in the world. “In USGA events, you really need your ‘A’ game in terms of your patience, your grit and your golf game.”

Zhang, the rising Stanford freshman from Irvine, is the first qualifying medalist to win since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2011. After delay of 3 hours, 15 minutes because of dangerous weather, Zhang finished off Davis with a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-4 32nd after hitting the flagstick with her approach.

“I’m really proud of the commitment and work that I put in over the past year,” Zhang said. “I’ve gotten more experienced, both in how I play and how I handle myself. And after last year, it was a really special week getting to see people cheering us on.”

Davis, 18, from White Plains, was trying to become the first Black player to win a women’s USGA title.

“This entire week has been unbelievable,” Davis said. “Based on the response from social media, I think I have touched a few girls this week. I’m going to try to respond to as many people as I can.” The threetime Maryland high school state champion will be a freshman at Tennessee.

Zhang earned spots in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles and the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Both finalists are exempt into the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Westchester Country Club next month.

HAHN CLOSES ON POSTON

BY SHOOTING 60 AT BARBASOL>>

James Hahn missed a chance to shoot the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. He settled for a 12-under 60 and a chance to win Barbasol Championship in Nicholasville, Ky.

Eight strokes back entering the day, Hahn had two eagles in the career-best round to move within two strokes of leader J.T. Poston at Keene Trace.

“To come up one short stings a little bit,” Hahn said.

Hahn’s 132-yard approach on the par-4 18th spun back, leaving a 35foot putt that he missed to the right — a few minutes before second-round leader Poston teed off.

“I thought it was really good, I thought I had a perfect number,” Hahn said. “Balls weren’t spinning back at all all day, so I thought it’s pin high. I had no idea it was going to spin back 20 feet.”

Jim Furyk set the tour record with a 58 in the 2016 Travelers Championship and also is one of 11 players to shoot 59.

Hahn chipped in for eagle on the par-5 15th to get to 11 under and made a 61/2-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole.

“When I looked at the leaderboard, it said that I was 11 under and I could swear I was 10,” Hahn said. “I had no idea what I was shooting at that point, I had to double-check the scorecard and that was kind of the “Oh, boy” moment.

“Yeah, then you start thinking crazy things coming down the stretch, but I pulled it together.”

Poston had a bogey-free 4-under 66 to get to 19-under 197.

JUTANUGARNS WIN GREAT

LAKES BAY INVITATIONAL>> Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn won the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, shooting their second 11-under 59 in bestball play for a three-stroke victory over defending champions Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura in Midland, Mich.

Horse racing

MANDALOUN CAPTURES

HASKELL, BUT IN ANOTHER CONTROVERSY >>Haskell Stakes Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun was involved in another controversial finish, awarded the $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park after apparent winner Hot Rod Charlie veered in the stretch and caused Midnight Bourbon and his jockey to take a scary fall.

Midnight Bourbon recovered from a tumble to the track and ran off uninjured, the on-call vet at the Jersey Shore track said. Jockey Paco Lopez was put on board and removed form the track in an ambulance. Lopez said he was OK after the race.

The track stewards immediately flashed the inquiry sign after the race and they didn’t need long to place Hot Rod Charlie, the 4-5 favorite coming off a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, last for interference. Mandaloun was awarded his first Grade I stakes win and once again was in the middle of a disputed finish.

It’s been two months since the Brad Cox-trained colt finished second behind Medina Spirit in the Derby, the opening leg of the Triple Crown for 3-yearolds. Medina Spirit subsequently tested positive for the presence of an anti-inflammatory steroid after the race and the state commission had not made a decision on whether the colt will be disqualified, awarding the Derby then to Mandaloun.

Motorsports

REPLACEMENT DRIVER BELL WINS XFINITY RACE>> Christopher Bell turned a spot start in the Xfinity Series into a trip to victory lane, winning in a romp at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

Bell made his first start since 2019 in NASCAR’s second-tier series when he was needed as a late replacement driver. He won every stage in the No. 54 Toyota and captured his 17th career Xfinity race. He won seven races in 2018, nine in 2019 and was promoted to Cup last season.

Bell is 15th in the Cup Series this season driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell won his first Cup race this season at the Daytona road course.

Justin Allgaier was second, followed by Daniel Hemric, Austin Cindric and

Harrison Burton. VERSTAPPEN WINS F1’S

FIRST SPRINT QUALIFYING RACE>> Max Verstappen out-dragged Lewis Hamilton at the start of Formula One’s experimental first sprint qualifying race to take the pole for the British Grand Prix in Silverstone and spoil the homecoming of the seven-time champion.

Tennis

KREJCIKOVA, MARTINCOVA IN PRAGUE FINAL>> French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova advanced to the final of the Prague Open by beating Xinyu Wang of China 6-1, 6-2.

The second-seeded Krejcikova set up an all-Czech final against eight-seeded Tereza Martincova, who defeated ninth-seeded Greet Minnen of Belgium 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal. It will be Martincova’s maiden WTA championship match.

Krejcikova will be seeking her third WTA championship in her fifth final after this year’s triumphs at Strasbourg and Roland Garros.

BROOKSBY, ANDERSON IN

HALL OF FAME FINAL>> American Jenson Brooksby beat Jordan Thompson, 6-3, 7-6 (3) to advance to the final of the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, R.I.

In the final, Brooksby, 20, will face Kevin Anderson, who ousted top-seeded Alexander Bublik, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, in the first semifinal.

Soccer

GIROUD LEAVES CHELSEA FOR AC MILAN>> Veteran France striker Olivier Giroud left Champions League winner Chelsea to join seven-time European Cup winner AC Milan.

The Italian giant said in a statement that Giroud will wear the No. 9 shirt.

“AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of Olivier Giroud on a permanent transfer from Chelsea FC,” Milan said, without giving more details.

Giroud, 34, has spent the past nine years in English soccer, where he scored 105 goals for Arsenal and 39 for Chelsea.

He is also France’s second-highest scorer with 46 goals, five fewer than former Arsenal star Thierry

Henry.