For the fifth consecutive year, digital golf news magazine Global Golf Post has published its list of the top amateur golfers in the world, and for the third time, at least one player with strong Colorado ties has been included.
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton was named among the publication’s top senior women’s amateurs globally in 2013 and ’16.
And this week, Jennifer Kupcho (pictured) of Westminster made Global Golf Post’s first team for women’s amateurs, regardless of age. Eleven players earned first-team status, including eight Americans.
Kupcho — a junior at Wake Forest who recently received the CWGA President’s Award, the association’s highest honor, after being the CWGA Player of the Year in 2014, ’15 and ’16 — is currently No. 3 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The 20-year-old qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open for the second straight year, and finished 21st overall. She placed second among amateurs, behind only Hye-Jin Choi, who was the runner-up in the championship.
Kupcho finished second individually in the Women’s NCAA Championship Finals after leading by two strokes with two holes remaining. She also won an NCAA Regional tournament in the spring, along with her college season opener in September at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. For the 2016-17 season, Kupcho was a finalist for the women’s college player of the year award that was won by Duke’s Leona Maguire from Ireland, Global Golf Post’s women’s amateur of the year for 2017.
During this past summer, in addition to her showing at the U.S. Women’s Open, Kupcho won the Canadian Women’s Amateur by five strokes, claimed her third straight CWGA Stroke Play title (by 13 shots this time), finished second in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open and advanced to the match play round of 64 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
The USGA has invited 12 players, including Kupcho, to a December practice session leading up to 2018 Curtis Cup, the biennial competition between the top women’s amateurs from the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland. Eight players will eventually be selected for the U.S. squad at the Curtis Cup, which is scheduled for June 8-10 in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Overall, Global Golf Post selected open-age, mid-amateur and senior amateur teams for both men and women. This year, 195 players from 25 nations were included.
To view Global Golf Post’s entire list of top amateurs, CLICK HERE.
