Rose Zhang said a "topped" shot on the back nine of her first round at The Standard Portland Classic got worse as the week went on. On Saturday, she even had treatment from a physio in the middle of the round and looked like she might not finish. "Honestly, I felt like I put up a fight," Zhang told Golf Channel following the third round. "I know that I wasn’t good at hiding it, which I wish I was. That I was playing tennis out there grunting. I felt like, you know, I just tried my best and that’s kind of what you have to do in golf.”
Zhang showed up again on Sunday and gutted it out, closing with a 68 to finish in a share of eighth. She is entered into next week's event in Canada, the final event before U.S. Solheim Cup team qualifying ends. This marked the former Stanford star's first top 10 since the Ford Championship back in late March. A member of the past two U.S. Solheim Cup teams, Zhang currently sits 73rd in the Rolex Rankings, 14 places behind Lindy Duncan, who currently has the second and final qualifying spot. This week's performance from Zhang could bump Duncan out with one week to go. Alison Lee ranks 61st. A total of five American players have already clinched spots on the 12-person team:
Nelly Korda Angel Yin Jennifer Kupcho Auston Kim Yealimi Noh
Kim and Noh got phone calls from U.S. captain Angela Stanford this week. Stanford will announce her three captain's picks following next week's CPKC Women's Open. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rose Zhang's 'topped' shot led to back injury at LPGA Portland Classic