It could very well be a sign of things to come.
In her second straight year of competing at the U.S. Women’s Open, Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster proved to be a quick learner on the biggest stage in women’s golf.
Not only did the 20-year-old reach her goal of making the cut at the most prestigious women’s tournament, but she finished the No. 2 amateur in the field at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. Only 17-year-old Hye-Jin Choi of South Korea, the No. 2-ranked amateur in women’s golf, was better — albeit a lot better: nine strokes, to be exact. It was the second straight year for Choi to be low am at the U.S. Women’s Open. She was the overall runner-up on Sunday, setting an amateur scoring record for the championship (9-under-par 279), ending up two shots behind champion and countrywoman Sung Hyun Park.
Kupcho, 20, finished 21st overall after a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday left her at even-par 288 for the week. The Wake Forest golfer (pictured), the runner-up in the Women’s NCAA Championship in May, proved more than able to keep up with the best players in women’s golf in making birdies as she racked up 17 for the week.
The three-time CWGA Player of the Year, who’s accustomed to lapping the field in Colorado tournaments, kept pace with many of the best players in the game in New Jersey. On Sunday, she finished with three birdies and two bogeys, and parred her last seven holes. Had it not been for the quadruple-bogey 9 she sustained Friday in very rainy conditions on her 35th hole, Kupcho would have placed 11th on Sunday.
As it was, Kupcho finished better than the likes of Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, Lydia Ko, Karrie Webb, Brittany Lang and Suzann Pettersen.
Kupcho, the No. 10-ranked amateur in women’s golf, posted the best U.S. Women’s Open finish by a golfer who grew up in Colorado since Cherry Creek High School graduate Jill McGill ended up 12th in 2002. Of course, McGill was a veteran LPGA Tour professional at that that time, while Kupcho still has two years of college eligibility left at Wake Forest.
Here are the round-by-round scores for each of the players with strong in-state connections who have competed this week:
21. Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster 74-72-71-71–288
Missed 36-Hole Cut
CU golfer Robyn Choi 76-77–153
Former CU golfer Emily Childs 77-80–157
For all the scores from the U.S. Women’s Open, CLICK HERE.
