SOUTHERN PINES, North Carolina – Rose Zhang might be the No. 1 amateur in the world, but she looks the part of a full-fledged pro this week in ways beyond her talent. Zhang’s impressive collection of logos through NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals rivals those sponsorships of players who already have tour cards. Just this week, Zhang became the first student-athlete to ink an NIL deal with Adidas.
Like Zhang, Stanford’s Rachel Heck also boasts an impressive portfolio of partners and deals that are believed to be more than six figures annually.
Meanwhile, Ingrid Lindblad, the No. 2 amateur in the world who trails by one at the 77th U.S. Women’s Open, doesn’t have any NIL deals. Lindblad wore a Swedish national team polo and didn’t wear a hat on Thursday in her opening 6-under 65, the lowest round by an amateur in the history of the championship.
