NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mizuho Americas, part of one of the largest financial institutions in the world and title sponsor of the Mizuho Americas Open, today announced Rose Zhang, the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open champion who immediately prior spent a record 141 weeks as the top-ranked amateur in the world, as an official brand ambassador. She joins Michelle Wie West and Ayaka Furue representing “Team Mizuho.”

Upon winning the Mizuho Americas Open, Zhang became the first player since 1951 to win in her professional debut on the LPGA Tour. Since turning pro, Zhang has recorded seven top-10 finishes and represented the United States during the 2023 Solheim Cup.

“The Mizuho Americas Open will always hold a special place in my heart as my first-ever LPGA victory,” said Zhang. “The unique tournament format perfectly bridged my transition from the amateur ranks to the pros. I’m so proud to represent Mizuho as their commitment to enhancing the player experience and building a mentorship program for the juniors in the field shows how deeply they care about supporting women in sports and nurturing the next generation of talent.”

“We are pleased to officially welcome Rose to Team Mizuho,” said Jerry Rizzieri, President and CEO of Mizuho Securities USA. “We got to know Rose after her exciting win when she visited our trading floor to better understand what we do. We were impressed, not only by her talent, but the poise beyond her years and work ethic, as demonstrated by her continued commitment to completing her Stanford degree while balancing the demands of the LPGA Tour season.”

The expanded ambassador program is a key component of Mizuho’s support of the LPGA. As the title sponsor of the Mizuho Americas Open, Mizuho is committed to enhancing the player experience while providing equity and opportunity through a new standard of competition with its pro/junior format, world-class golf course, player accommodations, and partnership with Girls Inc.

“The Mizuho Americas Open will forever be linked with Rose’s history-making achievement,” said Cheryl Gilberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Mizuho Americas. “With Michelle, Ayaka, and Rose, we have a powerhouse trifecta representing Mizuho, each of whom embody our commitment to equity, opportunity, and mentorship. We’re looking forward to having them regularly engage with our employees, clients, and community partners.”

Zhang will return to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ to defend her title May 16-19. The tournament’s unique format, in partnership with the American Junior Golf Association, will once again place Zhang among LPGA’s top pros competing alongside the top-ranked junior girls in parallel tournaments that come together in comingled groupings on the last two days of competition.

Prior to her LPGA debut, Zhang had one of the most successful amateur careers in history, winning the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur, two NCAA Women’s Golf Individual titles (2022, 2023) and back-to-back ANNIKA Awards (2022, 2023).

Zhang will star alongside Lexi Thompson, Rory McIlroy and Max Homa in the first mixed edition of “The Match,” a made-for-television event tonight, Monday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT and Max.

About Mizuho Americas
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. is the 15th largest bank in the world as measured by total assets of ~$2 trillion, according to S&P Global 2022. Mizuho’s 60,000 employees worldwide offer comprehensive financial services to clients in 35 countries and 800 offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.

Mizuho Americas is a leading provider of corporate and investment banking services to clients in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Through its acquisition of Greenhill, Mizuho provides M&A, restructuring and private capital advisory capabilities across Americas, Europe and Asia. Mizuho Americas employs approximately 3,500 professionals, and its capabilities span corporate and investment banking, capital markets, equity and fixed income sales & trading, derivatives, FX, custody and research. Visit www.mizuhoamericas.com.

For inquiries, please contact:
Jim Gorman
Executive Director, Media Relations, Mizuho Americas
+1-212-282-3867
jim.gorman@mizuhogroup.com

Laura London
Director, Media Relations, Mizuho Americas
+1-212-282-4446
laura.london@mizuhogroup.com