An amateur hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour since Lydia Ko pulled off the feat for the second time, in 2013. Colorado’s own Jennifer Kupcho has a chance to end that drought on Sunday.
The Westminster resident, who earlier this week ascended to the top spot in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings for the first time, is showing she can compete quite effectively against some of the top professionals in the world as well.
The 21-year-old senior-to-be at Wake Forest shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 66 on Saturday to move into a share of fifth place going into Sunday’s final round of the LPGA Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 66 vaulted Kupcho 21 spots up the scoreboard on Saturday and left her just three strokes out of the lead, currently held by Brooke Henderson.
Kupcho, who landed a spot in the field by virtue of winning the Women’s NCAA Division I individual title in May, stands at 8-under-par 205 through three days in the third LPGA Tour event of her career. The Coloradan missed the cut in the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open and finished 21st in the same event last year.
Kupcho is one of many players who have a legitiate shot at the title on Sunday. Besides the four players ahead of her, there are 10 golfers tied with her at 205, along with five at 206.
Kupcho made five birdies and no bogeys on Saturday. She’s carded just four bogeys in 54 holes.
The Coloradan is the low amateur in the Marathon Classic by eight strokes through three rounds.
(Kupcho is pictured on Saturday in a photo courtesy of the Kupcho family. Father Mike is in the background.)
For all the scores from the Marathon Classic, CLICK HERE.
