To finish up her freshman season of college golf at Wake Forest, the Westminster resident finished second at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, seventh in the NCAA Stanford Regional, and sixth in the Women’s NCAA Finals.

And back in Colorado, she qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open and won two CWGA championships in the course of eight days.

The second of those victories came on Thursday when the 19-year-old dominated in the final to win her second CWGA Match Play, this one the 101st version of the tourament, at Aurora Hills Golf Course.

“Jennifer is just such a special player,” noted Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin, who watched her compete in the Women’s NCAA Finals and will be on hand next month at the U.S. Women’s Open.

In Thursday’s scheduled 36-hole title match that ended before noon, Kupcho (left and above) warmed up for her U.S. Women’s Open appearance with a 12-and-10 victory over Jaylee Tait of Littleton.

The margin was the largest in a CWGA Match Play final in at least the last decade, before which records aren’t complete.

Kupcho last week won the CWGA Mashie team event with University of Colorado golfer Gillian Vance, who Kupcho defeated in the Match Play semifinals. Overall, Kupcho has captured six CWGA championships, including the 2014 and ’16 Match Plays and the 2015 Stroke Play. She was the CWGA Player of the Year in both 2014 and ’15.

“It’s definitely awesome,” she said of her latest win. “The field was full of college players so that was exciting. And I love match play, so to win this for the second time was neat.”

On Thursday, Kupcho was 9 under par through the 26 holes and didn’t make a bogey. By her round-by-round recollection, she was 31 under par for 89 holes this week at Aurora Hills, including the 18-hole stroke-play qualifier.

“I like going under par,” Kupcho said with a smile. “In college it’s definitely harder to go under par. To come here and be able to do that is a lot of fun.

“I’ve definitely seen my game improve since I’ve gone to college. (Recent accomplishments) are just a continuation of everything.”

Against Tait (left), a Montana State golfer who qualified for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur, Kupcho was 8 up through 18 holes and closed things out with a two-putt birdie on the eighth hole of the second round.

“I just didn’t make enough birdies (one),” said the 20-year-old Tait, who placed third in the Big Sky Conference tournament this spring. “She played really well and she’s hitting it really well.

“I didn’t birdie any of the (seven) par-5s through 26 holes — and they’re not playing very long. That was my weakness. I think (Kupcho) birdied almost all of them (five of the seven), so I gave up a lot there. And she was making putts when she was outside of me.”

Tait’s older sister, Ashley, who won the 2008 CWGA Stroke Play, also lost in a CWGA Match Play final, falling to Chelsey Collins in 2009.

To see all the championship and consolation brackets from the CWGA Match Play, CLICK HERE.

To read about the CWGA Senior Match Play finals, CLICK HERE.

CWGA Match Play Finals
Thursday at Aurora Hills GC

Championship Flight
36-Hole Championship — Jennifer Kupcho def. Jaylee Tait, 12 and 10
Consolation — Delaney Elliott def. Klara Castillo, 2 and 1

Senior Championship Flight
Championship — Kim Eaton def. Christie Austin, 6 and 4
Consolation — Kelly Martin def. Jennifer Hocking, 3 and 2

First Flight 
Championship — Mariah Ehrman def. Candace Meyers, 4 and 2
Consolation — Michelle Romano def. Suzy Leprino, 1 up

Second Flight
Championship — Sharon Thiel def. Lea Croghan, 19 holes
Consolation — Jennifer Cassell def. Karin Hathaway, 6 and 4

Third Flight 
Championship — Rose Rismanchi def. Becky Finger, 2 up
Consolation — Lori Maul def. Amy Hicks, 5 and 4

Meanwhile, two Colorado Golf Hall of Famers will square off for the senior championship flight crown as Kim Eaton and Christie Austin prevailed in Wednesday’s semifinals. Eaton, a two-time Senior Match Play champ, defeated 2014 senior winner Deb Hughes 6 and 5, while Austin overcame defending champ Lynn Zmistowski 3 and 2.

In a matchup of champion teammates from last week’s CWGA Mashie, Kupcho (pictured) beat University of Colorado golfer Gillian Vance on Wednesday in the open division, while Tait advanced with a victory over Brigham Young University golfer Anna Kennedy.

Kupcho, the 2014 and ’15 CWGA Player of the Year, in the last month and a half has qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and finished sixth in the Women’s NCAA Finals as a Wake Forest freshman. Kupcho won the CWGA Match Play title in 2014.

Tait, younger sister of 2008 CWGA Stroke Play champion Ashley Tait, qualified for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur and currently plays golf for Montana State.

In the senior final, two multiple winners of the CWGA Senior Player of the Year honor will meet. Eaton, a three-time quarterfinalist in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, has earned the Senior POY award five times and Austin twice. Eaton was also CWGA Player of the Year four times.

The title matches in the championship flight, the senior championship flight and the three handicap flights are all scheduled for Thursday. To see all the championship and consolation brackets, CLICK HERE.

Two other college golfers from Colorado, Anna Kennedy (Brigham Young University) and Jaylee Tait (Montana State) will meet in the other semi after two victories each on Tuesday. Kennedy was the 15th seed out of the 16 players who made the championship flight.

Kupcho, the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier from Wake Forest who shot 65 to earn medalist honors on Monday, scored 3-and-2 wins over both Taylor Dorans and Calli Ringsby on Tuesday. Vance, a former state high school champion who now plays for the University of Colorado, prevailed in a 19-hole quarterfinal over Kylee Sullivan to advance. (Kupcho and Vance are pictured together last week, with Kupcho at right.)

Tait prevailed 1 up in the quarters over former 5A state champ Mackenzie Cohen, while Kennedy posted a 7-and-5 win over Calli Gallacher.

In the quarterfinals of the senior championship flight, each of the top three seeds — all Colorado Golf Hall of Famers — won on Tuesday, including defending champion Lynn Zmistowski. Also advancing to Wednesday’s senior semifinals were top-seeded Kim Eaton, a two-time senior champ; 2007 senior winner Christie Austin, and 2014 senior champ Deb Hughes, the fifth seed.

Eaton will face Hughes and Zmistowski will take on Austin in the semis.

The title matches in the championship flight, the senior championship flight and the three handicap flights are all scheduled for Thursday. To see all the brackets, CLICK HERE.

The 2014 and ’15 CWGA Player of the Year played her last eight holes in 5 under par to land the top spot in the 16-player championship bracket. Kupcho (pictured), the Wake Forest freshman who finished sixth last month in the Women’s NCAA Finals, won the CWGA Match Play in 2014.

No other player finished at par or better on Monday. Mackenzie Cohen, the former 5A state high school champion who placed third in this year’s Women’s NCAA Division III Finals, and Sydney Gillespie each carded a 73 to share second place in the stroke-play qualifier. The match-play portion of the event will begin on Tuesday and both the round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be contested on that day.

In the senior championship flight, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton led the way Monday with a 2-over-par 74. Eaton, winner of the CWGA Match Play once and the Senior Match Play twice, overcame a triple-bogey on the 13th hole to earn senior medalist honors.

Next best in the senior flight Monday were two other Colorado Golf Hall of Famers, defending champion Lynn Zmistowski (77) and 2007 senior champ Christie Austin (79). CWGA board member Laurie Steenrod, a former winner in both the Match Play and Senior Match Play, earned the eighth and final spot in the senior championship bracket via a playoff with Suzy Leprino that lasted five holes. Steenrod will face Eaton in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

While the 16-person championship flight and the eight-person senior championship flight will be played at scratch, there will also be three flights which compete while utlizing their handicaps.

The title matches in each division is scheduled for Thursday.

For the various match-play brackets, CLICK HERE.

Here are the scores from Monday’s stroke-play qualifying:

Championship Flight

Jennifer Kupcho, CommonGround WGC 34-31–65

Sydney Gillespie, Highlands Ranch Wga 38-35–73

Mackenzie Cohen, Inverness Lga 37-36–73

Kylee Sullivan, CC of Colorado WGA 38-36–74

Gillian Vance, CommonGround WGA 37-37–74

Klara Castillo, Kennedy Lga 38-38–76

Ashlyn Kirschner, West Woods Wgc 38-38–76

Janet Moore, Cherry Hills CC Wga 37-39–76

Calli Ringsby, Denver CC Lga 38-38–76

Calli Gallacher, Cherry Hills CC Wga 36-41–77

Jaylee Tait, Raccoon Creek WGA 40-37–77

Delaney Elliott, CommonGround WGA 41-37–78

Courtney Ewing, Desert Hawk Pueblo West Wga 41-38–79

Sarah Hankins, Thorncreek Wga 38-41–79

Anna Kennedy, Denver CC Lga 39-40–79

Taylor Dorans, Eagle Trace Lga 42-37–79

Megan Vernon, Applewood Wga 43-40–83

Michelle Romano, Colorado Golf Club Wga 41-44–85

Megan McCambridge, Boulder CC Wga 45-41–86

Mariah Ehrman, Heritage at Westmoor WGA 40-50–90

Joanna Ringsby, Denver CC Lga WD

Senior Championship Flight

Kim Eaton, Riverdale Wga 36-38–74

Lynn Zmistowski, Willis Case Wga 38-39–77

Christie Austin, Cherry Hills CC Wga 37-42–79

Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs CC Lga 39-41–80

Deb Hughes, Green Valley Ranch Wga 40-40–80

Louise Lyle, Patty Jewett Wgc 41-40–81

Kelly Martin, Fox Hollow Lgc 38-43–81

Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock Wga 42-40–82

Suzy Leprino, Lakewood CC Wga 42-40–82

Kathy Malpass, Hiwan Wga 45-38–83

Katty Rothberg, Cherry Creek CC Wga 44-43–87

This year’s Match Play is set for Monday through Thurday (June 13-16) at Aurora Hills Golf Course.

Last year’s overall champion, Paige Spiranac, has since become a social media sensation, has appeared on the cover of Golf Digest and earlier this month won an event on the Cactus Tour. In her 35-hole 2015 title match against University of Colorado golfer Brittany Fan, the two players combined to make 22 birdies and were 15 under par. 

And Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Lynn Zmistowski notched her fifth individual CWGA championship victory. Zmistowski trailed Kathy Malpass after 16 holes, but won the 17th and 18th for a 1-up win.

While Spiranac has since turned pro, Zmistowski will be back to defend her senior title, and Malpass will return as well. Zmistowski is also a two-time winner of the open division.

In the open division, the entrants include U.S. Women’s Open qualifier and two-time CWGA Player of the Year Jennifer Kupcho; Mackenzie Cohen, the former state high school champion who placed third in the NCAA Division III Finals; and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore. Kupcho claimed the title in 2014.

Among other entrants (open or senior division) are Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kim Eaton (winner of the open division in 2004 and twice the senior division) and Christie Austin (2007 senior champ), along with former 5A state high school champs Gillian Vance, Calli Ringsby and Michelle Romano.

Championship and senior championship divisions will be the only ones played at scatch, and they will have a qualifying round on Monday (June 13). For Monday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.