Behind every great golfer is a strong supporting pillar who has always had their back. For Rose Zhang, there are three: her father, her mother, and her brother. Rose Zhang’s father was the one who introduced her to golf at the age of nine, and there has been no going back ever since.

Although the couple moved to several places to fend for their family, the Zhangs have been extraordinarily close to each other. Here’s all you need to know about the people who played the biggest role in Rose Zhang’s life.

Why did Rose Zhang’s family move to America?

Rose Zhang has a small, happy family: her father, mother, and elder brother. Her parents are Haibin Zhang and Li Cai. Both of them were born and brought up in China. Haibin Zhang went to Pujiang Middle School and also graduated from the University of Science and Technology in China in 1994. He then took up a bachelor’s in physics and got his degree in 1999.

Rose Zhang is very close to her mother, Li Cai, who is a dental technician. She refers to her mother as the ‘rock’ of the family. “I can always come to her or come home and she’s just always saying, ‘I’m proud of you,'” said Zhang as she spoke about her mother’s unconditional love. Her parents met in China and got married. However, China did not have much growth to offer them as a family. This was why the couple decided to move to America for a better life two years before Rose Zhang was born (2001).

They had been living in Arcadia, California, for seven years. The initial years were just humble beginnings, as told by her brother. In 2008, the couple, along with both Rose Zhang and her brother, decided to move to Irvine.

Rose Zhang’s parents are pretty much accustomed to seeing their daughter excel and are thus rarely expressive about their happiness when she achieves something in the field! Her father has even caddied for her at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, so he knows her gameplay up close from every possible angle. Hence, the confidence!

Rose Zhang’s father had a ‘very chill’ reaction to her playing in the Olympics

Rose Zhang’s father is undoubtedly the biggest cheerleader of all. He has always been by her side as she swung the golf clubs on the greens. He even quit his job as the Senior Vice President of Quantitative Research Analyst at PIMCO so that he could travel with Zhang and not miss out on any of her events. However, just like a regular dad, Haibin Zhang is rarely expressive. The same happened when Rose Zhang broke the news of her playing for the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. All he said was ‘Good Job’.

Haibin Zhang has closely watched his daughter spread her wings and soar to the top with her clubs and bombs! He knows how important it is to be a part of Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics and his reaction to her selection reflects his unwavering confidence in her golf talents.

“Their reactions were a bit dull compared to some others’ reactions. When the results were finalized, they were like, ‘Oh, cool. Good job.’ Not necessarily anything too crazy. It was very, very chill,” said the 21-year-old. Just like all the other golf tournaments, Zhang’s father is in Paris now, supporting his daughter, while her mother and brother are supporting her from their home!