Historic Win for Zhong at US Senior Women’s Amateur
Oregon, United States: Zhong Xiaolong has become the eighth international champion in US Senior Women’s Amateur history. She is also the first champion from China and the first from an Asian country.
Portland, Oregon, United States: What a US Senior Women’s Amateur debut it was for China’s ‘Sherry’ Zhong Xiaolong.
Making her first appearance in the 64th edition of the championship at Portland Golf Club, Zhong not only earned medallist honours following the 36-hole stroke play portion of the championship but also defeated Frenchwoman Amandine Vincent four days later to win the title in her first attempt.
With the victory, Zhong becomes the eighth international champion in US Senior Women’s Amateur history. She is also the first champion from China and the first from an Asian country.
Zhong is the sixth USGA champion representing China, joining Ding Wenyi (2022 US Junior Amateur), Aaron Du and Sampson Zheng Yunhe (2023 US Amateur Four-Ball), Jo Fumie (2014 US Women’s Amateur Public Links) and Lei Ye (2019 US Girls’ Junior).
Zhong, who now resides in northern California, displayed dominance every step of the way in Portland, shooting the lowest round of the week with a five-under 67 on Saturday and defeating two past champions on her way to a first USGA title.
“I feel like it’s not real. It’s like a dream,” said Zhong after her win. “It means a lot. I never thought I’d be a USGA champion because I grew up in China. But my friends, they encouraged me to play more. Yesterday they sent a message to me and said: ‘You have a chance. You have to try’.”
Zhong, who turned 50 in March, advanced to the quarter-finals with dominant wins over Alejandra Partearroyo-Hillman (3&2), Kelly Wilson (6&5) and Australian Gemma Dooley (3&2).
During Wednesday’s double-header, the 2026 US Women’s Senior Open low amateur won back-to-back matches against two previous champions, defeating Australian Nadene Gole, one-up, in the quarter-finals and American Lara Tennant, one-up, in the semi-finals.
With her confidence riding high, it all came down to Thursday morning’s championship match against another one of the week's top performers, number two seed Vincent.
Playing the course for an eighth time in six days, Vincent struck first with a birdie-par start to take a two-up lead through two holes. The explosive opening would be short-lived, however, as Zhong won four consecutive holes (four to seven), carding two birdies during the stretch to turn a two-hole deficit into a two-up advantage.
The medallist’s lead then grew to three with another win on the 476-yard par-five 10th.
Three up through 10 holes, everything appeared to be going Zhong’s way before her opponent dug deep for one last push.
Vincent won 11 with a par before pulling off another unlikely victory on 15. After hitting her tee shot into the trees and punching out from a difficult lie, the Frenchwoman won when Zhong four-putted, cutting the lead to one. A birdie on 16 then squared the once-one-sided match with only two holes left to play.
On 17, Zhong recaptured some of her front-nine magic, sticking her tee shot to 15 feet on the 124-yard par three before sinking the birdie putt to win the hole. Matching pars on 18 then sealed the match, as Zhong became the first number one seed to win the US Senior Women’s Amateur since Tennant in 2021.
“For me, the hardest hole was 15. Amandine’s driver hit a tree, and I thought for sure she’d make a bogey. I just wanted to make a par, but my third shot, I aimed at the centre of the green instead of at the pin and made a four-putt.
“Then on 17, at first, I chose my nine-iron because that’s what I had been hitting all week. But because of the wind, I decided to hit my eight-iron, gave myself a birdie chance and I made it. That was probably my smartest choice of the day,” she added.
Zhong was joined in Portland by her husband and youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter, Monica, is a sophomore golfer at Boston University
Zhong said: “I guess it encourages my youngest daughter to play golf more. She’s an artist. She likes drawing. My older daughter plays golf at Boston University. She loves to play and now I can be a role model for her team.”
WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES
· A gold medal.
· Custody of the US Senior Women’s Amateur Trophy for one year.
· A 10-year exemption into the US Senior Women’s Amateur.
· An exemption into the 2027 US Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & CC (Course No. 2), and the 2028 US Women’s Amateur at Brae Burn Country Club.
· Two-year exemptions into the US Women’s Mid-Amateur (2027 and 2028) and US Senior Women’s Open (2027 and 2028).
