NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 26, 2026

Michelle Zhang

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Michelle after her second round here at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. Best round of your short-lived career on the LPGA Tour. Did you see a round like this coming?

MICHELLE ZHANG: I have actually. So I played -- we had three weeks off because of Solheim Cup. I played two Epson tournaments before this. I finished second at the first one and I've been just kind of consistently kind of playing good golf.

And then I finished second and seventh coming into this week, and having someone that I really like on the bag -- have Aaron on the bag just for the week -- and he's been helping me with the confidence on the course and just kind of seeing some putts drop and hitting a lot of greens.

Q. Yeah. Is there anything in particular that's feeling extra dialed in right now?

MICHELLE ZHANG: I would say the irons because today I birdied all four of the par-3s, so I -- and none of them were over five feet. So I'm pretty happy with that.

Q. Yeah. Like I said, very short-lived into your rookie season on the LPGA Tour. How has it been this season?

MICHELLE ZHANG: It's been definitely like challenging for sure, because just the first few weeks getting a feel out here. I didn't have the best status coming into this year and kind of not knowing where I'll be after every week.

Just like I feel like I'm playing good golf but girls are so good out here and having that mindset kind of switch. I feel like on Epson I'm genuinely always kind of looking to try and win the tournament, compared to coming out here. I was a little struggling with just kind of looking at the cut line every event.

This week I kind of just kept it to myself and just played good golf out here.

Q. Yeah. Does a round like that not cement, but kind of change your opinion and think oh, I do along out here; I can compete with these players?

MICHELLE ZHANG: Yes, for sure. I think this year -- I think on my Epson season I never really look at the cut lines. I think I missed two cuts all year the whole year, and just coming out here I missed my first two cuts out here. And then oh, my gosh, like all of a sudden like that kind of change in mindset.

But also just knowing like I'm really good -- I'm a really good ball-striker and I know I belong. I just need a few putts to drop. Saw that today and just pretty happy overall.

Q. I know you're good friends with Alexa Pano.

MICHELLE ZHANG: Uh-huh.

Q. She's been out here for a little bit. Was there any advice she maybe gave you during the tough stretches?

MICHELLE ZHANG: For sure. I was looking at all my cuts this year. I genuinely wasn't missing cuts by a lot. It would be just kind of one shot or two shots.

You know when stuff like that happens you just got to believe that like maybe it's just a three-footer you missed and that's in your head. Lex has been telling me, because she didn't have her best stretch the last like Portland, Canada, Boston, but she's like, I know I'm playing good golf. I am just missing the cut by one shot. Just kind of having that mindset and believing in yourself.

Q. How do you keep the momentum heading into tomorrow's final round?

MICHELLE ZHANG: Just kind of excited. Only seen the course once before playing this week. Knowing I'm still learning from the golf course and my caddie, Aaron, he's putting me in great headspace. He's like, you know you'll go low every day, and kind of believe in that tomorrow.

Q. What have you learned about the golf course as you played round after rounds?

MICHELLE ZHANG: I feel like just kind of this is -- like not necessarily the firmest golf course we play out here. It's kind of softer. Kind of believing that you can land it past the pin and spin it back, I feel like most the golf courses out here play pretty firm and you don't really see that out here. So just having that.

And then I had like yesterday my first five holes I was a little bit nervous and I bogeyed -- like I three-putted from like 30 feet. I was like, you know what? This is what's going to get me going, and here I am.