Spending Time with God Changed This Golfer’s Life
By Movieguide® Contributor
LPGA Tour pro golfer Rose Zhang has lots of voices clamoring for her attention, but only one truly matters to her.
“Once you start to wander a little bit out of that little bubble, that’s when the noise hits,” she said on the “Sports Spectrum” podcast. “And I’ve realized that my quiet times with the Lord are so much more precious because it allows me to put into perspective of what’s actually important — how I can glorify Him without having to think about other people or what their expectations are of me.”
“And I didn’t understand how crucial, I guess, prayer and quiet times are until the voices of the outside world’s media, even your own family, even your own friends, having this sort of expectation of you at times creep in,” she continued. “So, I realized that was in periods of quiet, reading the word, journaling, talking about His word to friends. That’s the time where I can really debrief and think about Christ, how He can guide me, how He can be a light to allow me to further myself without having to think about what other people want me to do or what they expect of me.”
For more inspiring sports stories, check out Sports Spectrum.
Zhang competed in her first-ever Olympics in Paris this summer. While she didn’t win a medal, she’s so grateful for the opportunity.
“Being here in Paris, putting on the USA gear, representing everyone back home? It’s really a grounding moment. I’m thankful to each person who helped me along the way. I’m excited to compete — to show the world who I am,” Zhang told the Players Tribune.
She’s open about her faith on social media too, frequently including #allglorytogod in her posts.
Following a win earlier this year, she wrote, “This one hit hard and I couldn’t have done it without the strength and voice of Christ: ‘…the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.’ ~ John 10:3.”
“Rose Zhang is a golfer on the LPGA Tour who was a highly decorated college golfer. She enjoyed one of the greatest amateur careers ever at Stanford, where she won the NCAA championship in 2022 and 2023,” Sports Spectrum said of her career so far. She “won her first professional tournament, the Mizuho Americas Open, becoming the first player to win her professional debut on the LPGA Tour since 1951.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Scottie Scheffler, another pro golfer who gives God the glory:
American golfer Scottie Scheffler won an Olympic gold medal on Sunday, but being one of the world’s best golfers isn’t what defines him.
“During his country’s National Anthem, a visibly emotional Scheffler wiped tears from his eyes. A video of the moment went viral on social media,” Crosswalk reported Aug. 6…
“I take tremendous pride in coming over here and representing my country,” he said. “…It was just very emotional being up there on stage there as the flag is raised, sitting there singing the national anthem. [It’s] definitely one I’ll remember for a long time…”
He said, “I am a faithful guy. I believe in a Creator. I believe in Jesus. Ultimately, I think that’s what defines me the most.”
He continued, “Yeah, I feel like I’ve been given a platform to compete and show my talent…I think that’s what defines me the most is my faith. I believe in one Creator, and I’ve been called to come out here [and] do my best to compete and glorify God. That’s pretty much it.”
