Both University of Denver teams will be in action before the month ends, and by this time in Feburary all nine NCAA Division I programs based in Colorado will have started their spring schedules. The DU women, recently picked to finish No. 1 in the Summit League by its coaches, will be the first local team to tee it up in competition as the Pioneers will face Arizona State and Georgia in a three-school match on Sunday (Jan. 27) in Gold Canyon, Ariz.

This spring will be notable in several respects from a Colorado perspective, including:

— Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster will be defending her NCAA Division I women’s individual title in May as a Wake Forest senior before she begins her LPGA Tour career. This week, Kupcho regained the No. 1 spot in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking, a position she held for 15 weeks in 2018.

— Former University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi, who qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open in the Centennial State the past two years, likewise earned her LPGA Tour card in November through her performance in the Q-Series. But, unlike Kupcho, Choi elected to forego her remaining college eligibility to join the LPGA circuit as soon as possible. That will leave CU without its top player going into the spring.

“That’s a tough one to lose, but it’s exciting she gets to start her LPGA career,” CU coach Anne Kelly said recently on CUBuffs.com regarding Choi.

Junior Kirsty Hodgkins, like Choi an Australian, will likely take over the No. 1 position for the Buffs.

— Dawn Shockley, who grew up in Estes Park and played her college golf at DU, seems to be making an impression as the women’s coach at Oregon State. At midseason, the Beavers are ranked No. 25 in the nation, according to Golfstat.

While there are plenty of college veterans that figure to shine for Colorado-based DI teams, several freshmen demonstrated great promise in their first semester as college golfers, in the fall. That includes Colorado State University players Oscar Teiffel and Davis Bryant, who had the Rams’ top two scoring averages in the autumn. Another promising freshman is former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang, who posted a 71.25 scoring average in her first semester at Harvard.

Looking ahead to the spring, here’s a brief preview of the Colorado-based DI programs, broken into several categories:

SPRING SEASON OPENERS

— DU Women: Jan. 27 dual match vs. Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.
— DU Men: Jan. 28-29 at Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson, Ariz.
— CU Women: Feb. 3-5 at Northrop Grumman Invitational in Palos Verdes, Calif.
— CU Men: Feb. 7-9 at Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Waikoloa, Hawaii.
— UNC Men: Feb. 11-12 at Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational in St. George, Utah.
— CSU Women: Feb. 18-19 at The Rebel Beach in Las Vegas, Nev.
— CSU Men: Feb. 20 dual match vs. Denver in Palm Desert, Calif.
— UNC Women: Feb. 23-24 at GCU Invitational in Phoenix.
— Air Force Academy Men: Feb. 23-25 at Loyola Invitational in Goodyear, Ariz.

NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS

Men
47. Colorado State (Golfstat; 51st Golfweek)
73. Colorado (Golfstat; 81st Golfweek)
118. Northern Colorado (Golfstat; 122nd Golfweek)
137. Denver (Golfstat; 149th Golfweek)
203. Air Force Academy (Golfstat; 204th Golfweek)

Women
36. Colorado (Golfweek; 42nd Golfstat)
69. Colorado State (Golfstat; 74th Golfweek)
79. Denver (Golfweek; 81st Golfstat)
149. Northern Colorado (Golfstat; 150th Golfweek)

NATIONAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS (in top 250)

Men
91. Former Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah (Golfweek; 202nd Golfstat)
111. Daniel O’Loughlin, CU (Golfstat; 139th Golfweek)
118. Oscar Teiffel, CSU (Golfweek; 145th Golfstat)
120. Coby Welch, UNC (Golfstat; 160th Golfweek)
150. Davis Bryant, CSU (Golfstat; 189th Golfweek)
241. Trevor Olkowski, CU (Golfstat)

Women
11. Robyn Choi, CU (Golfstat; 20th Golfweek; will not compete in spring as she’s become an LPGA Tour member)
57. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest (Golfweek 72nd Golfstat)
72. Kirsty Hodgkins, CU (Golfweek; 73rd Golfstat)
87. Mary Weinstein, DU (Golfweek; 121st Golfstat)
97. Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang, Harvard (Golfweek; 179th Golfstat)
190. Katrina Prendergast, CSU (Golfstat)

TEAM VICTORIES IN FALL
— CU Men (2): Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational; Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.

— CSU Men (2): Ram Masters Invitational; Paintbrush Invitational.

— CSU Women (1): Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate.

INDIVIDUAL VICTORIES IN FALL
— Former Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah (2): Showdown in the Rockies; Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.  

— Ellen Secor, CSU (1): Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate.

— Daniel O’Loughlin, CU (1): Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.

— Oscar Teiffel, CSU (1): Paintbrush Invitational.

— Trevor Olkowski, CU (1): Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational (tied for title before losing to Dunkle in a playoff, though both are officially credited with a win.)

TOP INDIVIDUAL FALL STROKE AVERAGE FOR EACH TEAM

CSU Men: Oscar Teiffel 70.77
UNC Men: Coby Welch 70.83
CU Men: Daniel O’Loughlin 71.2
CU Women: Robyn Choi 71.44
DU Women: Mary Weinstein 72.42
CSU Women: Katrina Prendergast 72.67
DU Men: Jun Ho Won 73.22
Air Force Academy Men: Luke Trujillo 74.4
UNC Women: Beah Cruz 75.0

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

CU Women: Pac-12 in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., April 15-17.
CSU Women: Mountain West in Rancho, Mirage, Calif., April 15-17.
UNC Women: Big Sky in Boulder City, Nev., April 19-21.
DU Women: Summit League in Newton, Kan., April 21-23.
CU Men: Pac-12 in Eugene, Ore., April 22-24.
CSU and Air Force Men: Mountain West in Tucson, Ariz., April 26-28.
UNC Men: Big Sky in Boulder City, Nev., April 26-28.
DU Men: Summit League in Newton, Kan., April 28-30.

NCAA REGIONAL SCHEDULE

Women: May 6-8, sites TBD (must earn selection).
Men: May 13-15, sites TBD (must earn selection).

After having earned her 2019 LPGA Tour card but deferring taking membership because she wanted to complete her senior season and graduate from Wake Forest, Kupcho (left in an LPGA photo) indicated earlier this month that she planned to focus on school and college golf in her final semester at Wake.

But after the team’s schedule underwent some minor tweaking, Kupcho decided to compete at Augusta National just before the Masters. The 21-year-old earned an invitation by being among the top 30 U.S. players in the final Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking of 2018. (Updated Jan. 23: Kupcho returned to No. 1 in the world rankings on Wednesday.)

Augusta National Women’s Amateur officials announced on Tuesday that 66 players have accepted invitations for the inaugural event, including 36 from outside the U.S. A 72-person field is planned.

The competitors will play the first 36 holes at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Ga., on April 3 and 4, with a practice round set for Augusta National on April 5 before the 30 players who make the cut compete in the final round at Augusta National on Saturday, April 6.

NBC will televise three hours of that final round, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (MT)

For the entire Augusta National Women’s Amateur field to date, CLICK HERE.
 

Among the golfers for whom Oldham has been a longtime instructor is Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, the reigning Women’s NCAA Division I individual champion and currently the No. 2-ranked women’s amateur in the world, who will become a member of the LPGA Tour in the late spring.

Oldham has earned the Colorado PGA Teacher of the Year Award in 1999 and 2013, was the Section’s PGA Professional of the Year in 2001 and 2002, and is a PGA Master Professional.

The Top 50 Kids Coaches list features outstanding youth instructors from across the U.S. as well as Europe, Asia and Australia. U.S. Kids Golf has presented this honor since 2004. Applicants complete an online survey and a committee selects the winners based on factors including innovation, creativity, communication, parental engagement, organization, experience, and the ability to instill a passion for the game in young golfers.

The award winners will be honored on Jan. 23 during the PGA Show in Orlando, Fla.

This group of the Top 50 Kids Coaches hails from 28 states and nine countries.

“These coaches are honored as more than teachers of the game,” Dan Van Horn, the president and founder of U.S. Kids Golf, said in a release. “They create outstanding opportunities for young golfers to learn in a fun and rewarding environment that instills a love for the game and engages the entire family.  Their ability to connect with students and fully engage them in the learning process sets them apart.”

For the complete list of the Top 50 Kids Coaches, CLICK HERE.

This week marks the first full-field event in 2019 for any of the three major professional golf tours based in the U.S.

When the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii starts today (Jan. 10), two players who grew up in Colorado will be in the field — Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous — along with former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders.

Clark and Knous are rookies on the PGA Tour for the 2018-19 wraparound season after graduating from the Web.com circuit. Two other golfers who spent their entire youth in Colorado — Jennifer Kupcho and Becca Huffer — will be rookies on the LPGA Tour after successfully negotiating Q-school. The 2019 LPGA season begins on Jan. 17, though Kupcho has deferred becoming a member until she completes her college eligibility at Wake Forest in May. Former University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi likewise will be an LPGA rookie in 2019.

The remarkable thing about this year is the number of golfers who grew up in Colorado and will be competing on the three major U.S.-based tours — PGA, LPGA and PGA Tour Champions, which starts its season on Jan. 17.

On the PGA Tour, there’s Clark, Littleton-based Knous and part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler.

On the LPGA circuit, there’s Westminster’s Kupcho and Monument’s Huffer.

And on PGA Tour Champions, there’s Hale Irwin, Brandt Jobe and Steve Jones. And depending on how you classify Mike Reid, who lived in the Denver area for a year and a half and helped Cherry Creek High School win a state team title in 1971, he might be included as well.

Add up the total for the three major circuits, and it’s an unusually high representation from Colorado. And that’s without including other major tour golfers who have lived in the state as adults or who played their college golf in the Colorado.

Some recent historical perspective may be in order.

The number of golfers who grew up in Colorado and have competed in at least 10 tournaments on one of the three major U.S.-based tours in the last decade is relatively small, indicating how tough it is to become a regular at the very highest level of golf.

Here’s the rundown:

PGA TOUR

— Kevin Stadler 159 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Mark Hubbard 84 events.

— Brandt Jobe 80 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Shane Bertsch 65 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Jonathan Kaye 28 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Leif Olson 22 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Wyndham Clark 13 events.

LPGA TOUR

— Jill McGill 38 events since the beginning of 2009.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

— Hale Irwin 159 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Mike Reid 130 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Steve Jones 68 events.

— Brandt Jobe 64 events.

— R.W. Eaks 49 events since the beginning of 2009.

So with eight or nine Colorado-grown golfers competing on the big-three U.S.-based golf tours this year alone, it’s certainly a high-water mark for the Centennial State.

In fact, on the women’s side, just one golfer who grew up in Colorado has competed in an LPGA Tour event since the end of 2013 — Kupcho, who has played in three since 2016.

For a look at all players with strong Colorado connections on major professional tours around the world, CLICK HERE to view our weekly local pro roundup, which is updated weekly.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame named Kupcho its Amateur Athlete of the Year — regardless of sport — for 2018. She and the other athletes of the year — including Denver Broncos rookie Phillip Lindsay — plus the six CSHOF inductees (Missy Franklin, Daniel Graham, Todd Lodwick, Bob Smith, Marvin Kay and Tom Southall) will be honored at the organization’s Induction & Awards Banquet on April 3 at the Hilton Denver City Center (1701 California St.).

Kupcho had another stellar year in 2018, highlighted by becoming the first Coloradan to win the individual title at the Women’s NCAA Division I Golf Championships. The now-Wake Forest senior previously had finished sixth (as a freshman) and second (as a sophmore) at the NCAA national tournament.

That title helped Kupcho to be named the world’s female Amateur of the Year by digital golf news magazine Global Golf Post. Last summer, Kupcho became the first American woman to earn the Mark H. McCormack Medal (above) as the top women’s player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings at the time (she’s currently No. 2).

In November, Kupcho capped off the year in fine fashion by earning her 2019 LPGA Tour card by placing second in the eight-round LPGA final qualifying tournament. But Kupcho will defer joining the Tour until after completing her college elibility in May.

Last summer, Kupcho represented the U.S. in three international competitions as American prevailed in the Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship. And she finished second individually — out of a field of 170 — at the World Amateur Team Championship.

Kupcho played in the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic in July, placing 16th, her best showing in an LPGA event.

Last fall, Kupcho was named the Golf Person of the Year by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame for the second time in three years.
  

Following up from earlier this week, when we started our two-part retrospective on the top Colorado golf-related stories of 2018 (CLICK HERE for the first installment), we continue our countdown with the top dozen stories of the year — in reverse order. And at the end, included is a list of honorable-mention selections.

12. Stewart Signs With No. 1-Ranked College Team in Nation: It’s not often that a Colorado golfer signs a national letter of intent with the No. 1-ranked college program in the nation. But such was the case in November when Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins put his John Hancock on the dotted line with Oklahoma State. Stewart, who graduated from Fossil Ridge High School this month, will be headed to Stillwater for the fall semester next year. The Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Boys Player of the Year is one of at least nine Colorado residents or JGAC members from the Class of 2019 who are headed to NCAA Division I golf programs. READ MORE

11. Another National Honor for Colorado PGA: Dating back to the late 1950s, members of the Colorado PGA or the Section itself have won 19 national awards from the PGA of America. Ten of those 19 have come since 2007, including this year’s Herb Graffis Award for player development, which the CPGA received for the second time since 2011. READ MORE

10. New CGA President Janene Guzowski Continues Trend in Colorado: The last several months of this year have proven to be a major boon for women in leadership roles in Colorado golf. Janene Guzowski is the new president of the CGA, Janet Moore is the new president of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, and Molly Greenblatt has become the new chairperson of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation. And that’s in addition to Suzy Whaley being elected the first national president of the PGA of America. READ MORE

9. Colorado, Hiwan Shine as Girls Junior Americas Cup Hosts: The Girls Junior Americas Cup — a team competition featuring players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico — is hosted just once every 18 years by Colorado, and 2018 was the Centennial State’s turn. Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, where the Colorado Open was held from 1964 to ’91, was a fitting mountainous setting for the event. While Mexico swept the team and individual titles, Colorado posted its best finish since 2013 by placing fifth out of 18 teams. Staff and volunteers from the CGA and the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado played major roles in running this major junior event. READ MORE

8. Colorado Sweeps Team, Individual Titles at Boys Junior America’s Cup: At the same time the Girls Junior Amerias Cup was taking place at Hiwan, a Colorado team (left) was making history at the boys Junior America’s Cup in Montana. For the first time in the 44 years in which Colorado has competed in the event, its squad claimed the team title. In fact, a Colorado team had never finished better than third before this year in the competition that includes players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. To add to the feat, Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins won the individual title out of the 72-player field. Joining Stewart on the winning team were Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch, Davis Bryant of Aurora and Walker Franklin of Broomfield. Former longtime CGA staffer Dustin Jensen captained the Colorado squad. READ MORE

7. 2 Coloradans Qualify for PGA Tour, 2 More for LPGA Tour: Seldom have players who grew up in Colorado enjoyed so much success in qualifying for the top men’s and women’s golf tours in the world as they did in the final half of 2018. Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous earned promotions to the PGA Tour with their performances on the Web.com Tour regular season and Finals, respectively. And Jennifer Kupcho and Becca Huffer landed spots on the LPGA Tour in 2019 by both finishing in the top 10 in the eight-round LPGA Q-Series, with Kupcho placing second and Huffer 10th. All four Coloradans will be rookies on those top circuits in 2019. In fact, the PGA Tour’s wraparound season began in October, and Knous recorded a top-10 finish in his first event as a member of that Tour. Joining Kupcho and Huffer in earning an LPGA card last month was former University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi.

6. Gearing Up for Rules Changes: With the modernized Rules of Golf set to take effect on Jan. 1, the USGA and its affiliated Allied Golf Associations have been very busy trying to bring members up to speed on the changes. For the CGA, that effort has included weekly “Ready for the 2019 Rules” videos and four-hour Ready for the Rules seminars held at various locations around the state late in 2018 and also planned for the first several months of 2019. READ MORE

5. Year 1 of New-Look CGA: Our No. 1 story of 2017 in Colorado golf was the unification a year ago of the CGA and CWGA after both associations had celebrated their 100th anniversaries as separate — but complementary — organizations serving golf in Colorado. With 2018 being their first full calendar year together, things have gone, by just about any measure, extremely well. All of which is very good news, considering how many golfers the new-look CGA serves as members. There’s still work to be done, but it’s certainly been a stellar first year together.

4. CSU Golfers Claim USGA National Title: Golfers with strong Colorado ties don’t often get to say they’re reigning USGA national champions, but Colorado State University golfers Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor (left) earned that honor by winning the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title in early May in Tarzana, Calif. The two never trailed in the first four matches they played at El Caballero Country Club. In the title match, they were 2 down with four holes left, but a big-time rally down the stretch netted them a 1-up victory over teenagers Yachun Chang of Chinese Taipei and Lei Ye of China — and the national championship. The victory was believed to be the first USGA national amateur championship by a person or team with strong Colorado ties since Jill McGill won the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 1994 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. READ MORE

3. Vickers Passes Away: There are almost 12 dozen people in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, but even in that select group, there are some that took it to the next level. A good rule of thumb as to who those people are is if they’ve also been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. There are less than a dozen people who are members of both Halls of Fame. One of them passed away in September — 93-year-old Jack Vickers. Vickers made his mark in a variety of sports, but likely will be most remembered as the founder of Castle Pines Golf Club and The International that hosted PGA Tour events for 21 years. No less than Jack Nicklaus, who designed Castle Pines, paid tribute to Vickers the day he died. Vickers’ International ran from 1986 through 2006. It featured a unique modified Stableford scoring system, which promoted aggressive play as a birdie and a bogey were worth more than two pars. The tournament produced quite a few big-name champions, including Greg Norman, Davis Love III (twice), Phil Mickelson (twice), Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. READ MORE

2. Kupcho Phenomenon Continues: Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster may very well accomplish great things in the coming decades, but even long into the future, 2018 will be a year she’ll remember fondly. Here’s a brief rundown of what she accomplished: The Wake Forest golfer won an NCAA Division I individual title a year (left) after placing second. She became the first Colorado resident to win the prestigious individual championship on the women’s side. She helped three U.S. national teams capture international team titles in 2018 — at the Curtis Cup, the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. In the latter event, Kupcho finished second individually out of a field of 170. She also placed second at the eight-round final stage of LPGA Q-school. After concluding her college career in May, she’ll immediately begin her LPGA career. Kupcho finished an LPGA career-best 16th this year in the LPGA Marathon Classic. Overall in 2018, she won three individual college titles. Kupcho also claimed the prestigious Mark H. McCormack Medal, becoming the first American to win the women’s McCormack honor as the top female player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings as of the conclusion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. And she was named the world female Amateur of the Year by digital new magazine Global Golf Post. READ MORE

1. U.S. Senior Open a Hit at The Broadmoor: It had been almost four years since Colorado had hosted a big-time tour-level event — the kind that attracts 100,000-plus fans. But the drought ended this year when the U.S. Senior Open (pictured at top) was conducted at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. And the results didn’t disappoint. The announced attendance for the week was 134,500, the most for the Senior Open since the 157,126 in Omaha, Neb., in 2013. David Toms, who won the 1999 Sprint International at Castle Pines but hadn’t captured a title on the PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions in seven years, captured the victory at the Senior Open by one stroke. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe placed fifth, marking his second straight top-5 performance in the U.S. Senior Open. Shortly after the conclusion of the championship, the USGA announced that the U.S. Senior Open will return to The Broadmoor in 2025.

Honorable Mention

— Lauren Howe, who grew up in Colorado, was a finalist in the U.S. Girls’ Junior as a 15-year-old and went on to win an event on the LPGA Tour, was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

— Patrick Reidy became the fifth 50-something player in the last six years to win the Colorado PGA Professional Championship.

— Players from Texas swept the two CGA women’s major titles in 2018, giving Texans three consecutive such championships. Emily Gilbreth, a lifetime Houstonian before moving to Denver, won the 2017 CGA Women’s Match Play; Kristin Glesne of San Antonio the 2018 CGA Women’s Stroke Play; and Kennedy Swann the 2018 CGA Women’s Match Play.

— Former BYU golfer Justin Keiley won his second straight Rocky Mountain Open, defeating former Montrose resident Brandon Bingaman in a playoff after the latter shot a course-record 11-under-par 60 in the final round at Tiara Rado in Grand Junction.

— Three Colorado courses — Castle Pines, Ballyneal and Cherry Hills — are ranked among the 150 Greatest International Courses, according to Golf Digest.

— Kaden Ford of Colorado Springs finished sixth — tying the best showing ever by a Coloradan — in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta. At the 2019 National Finals, three Coloradans will compete — Caitlyn Chin of Greenwood Village, Chunya Boonta of Centennial and Grady Ortiz of Colorado.

— The University of Denver women’s golf team saw its remarkable string of league tournament championships end at 14, though the Pioneers’ Sophie Newlove claimed the individual title at Summit League Championship.

— CU’s Robyn Choi qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Open for a second straight year. Choi later earned her LPGA Tour card at the final stage of Q-school.

— Former Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, who won the CGA Amateur in August, claimed the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational championship for the second straight year for his second individual college title in eight days.

— Doug Rohrbaugh, who was paired with Scott McCarron and Miguel Angel Jimenez at the Senior PGA Championship, became the first golfer to sweep the Colorado PGA Player of Year and Senior Player of Year honors in the same season. Like Rohrbaugh, Colorado PGA professional Chris Johnson qualified for two PGA Tour Champions majors in 2018 — the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship.

— Nicholas Pevny of Aspen captured a national title, prevailing in the boys 12-13 age division of the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida.

— Former Parker resident Elizabeth Wang finished 34th — fourth among amateurs — at the U.S. Women’s Open. Wang also made it to the round of 16 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur and to the round of 32 at the U.S. Girls’ Junior. Wang, now playing for Harvard, defeated Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster in 19 holes in the round of 64 at the U.S. Women’s Am.

— Fort Collins resident Dillon Stewart became to first Coloradan to win the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior boys title. Later, he captured a second AJGA championship, this time in Montana, and won 5A state high school individual and team titles.

— New Colorado resident Dan Erickson shot a 9-under-par 61 — a course record by two strokes at Fort Collins Country Club — en route to qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, where he made match play but bowed out in the round of 64 at Pebble Beach.

— Hadley Ashton of Erie finished fifth in the girls 9-10 division at the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Championships.

— Thirty-two years after winning her first CGA/CWGA title, Kristine Franklin earned her second, this time overcoming five-time champion Kim Eaton in the Women’s Senior Stroke Play.

— Greg Condon of the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista shared stroke-play medalist honors in the U.S. Senior Amateur, while Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction advanced to the match play round of 16.

(Note: This story was updated on Jan. 2)

Jennifer Kupcho has roughly six months left in her amateur career — barring the unforeseen — and she hopes to add a few more major accomplishments to her golf resume before she starts playing for prize money on the LPGA Tour.

But in at least one regard, the Westminster resident figures to go out on top.

This week, digital golf news magazine Global Golf Post published its All-Amateur Teams for the sixth time, with the accompanying amateur player of the year announcements. And, in what should be a surprise to no one, Kupcho (left) was named the world’s female Amateur of the Year as 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Matt Parziale received the honor on the male side.

The selection of Kupcho, who’s in the midst of her senior year at Wake Forest, couldn’t have been a particularly difficult one. While she currently sits No. 2 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings — behind her U.S. Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and World Amateur Team teammate Lilia Vu — Kupcho has been No. 1 15 weeks so far in 2018. And she was in the top spot at the time when the prestigious Mark H. McCormack Medal was awarded in August. She became the first American to win the women’s McCormack honor as the top female player in the WAGR as of the conclusion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Here are some of the accomplishments that put Kupcho on top of the world, golf-wise:

— The 21-year-old won the women’s NCAA Division I individual title in May after placing sixth as a freshman and second as a sophomore. Kupcho is the first Colorado resident to win the prestigious individual championship on the women’s side.

— The three-time CWGA Player of the Year helped three U.S. national teams capture international team titles in 2018 — at the Curtis Cup, the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. In the latter event, Kupcho finished second individually out of a field of 170.

— Kupcho also was the runner-up — out of 102 players — in this fall’s final stage of LPGA Q-school, known as the Q-Series, an eight-round event played over the course of two weeks. She plans to finish her final season of college golf, then start her LPGA Tour career late in the spring.

— Also against a mostly-pro field, Kupcho placed an LPGA career-best 16th this year in the LPGA Marathon Classic.

— All told, Kupcho claimed three individual titles during the spring portion of the college schedule this year.

“Knowing the way she plays and the talent that she has, I think that now that she knows where she can play right after graduation will just free her up even more,” first-year Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen told Global Golf Post. “Her dream is to play on the LPGA Tour and she knows that’s next after this spring.”

Indeed, that’s what Kupcho told ColoradoGolf.org immediately after earning her LPGA Tour card this month.

“It’s awesome to just be able to go back to school knowing that I have what I’m going to do after college already in the bank,” she said.

Kupcho was part of an 11-person Global Golf Post All-Women’s Amateur First Team for the second consecutive year. GGP named amateur, mid-amateur and senior amateur teams for both men and women.

Kupcho wasn’t the only Coloradan mentioned on Global Golf Post’s All-Amateur Teams this year. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore was an honorable mention selection in the Women’s Mid-Amateur category, for players 25 and older. Ten women’s mid-ams were named to the first team and five each to the second team and honorable mention.

And part-time Gunnison resident Marilyn Hardy earned an honorable mention spot on the Women’s Senior Amateur team, which is limited to players 50 and older. Eleven first-teamers were included, along with five second-teamers and eight honorable mention picks. (Hardy and Moore are pictured, with Hardy at left.)

Moore, a five-time winner of the CGA Women’s Stroke Play in the 1990s, qualified for three USGA national/international championships in 2018 — the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. At the Mid-Am, she survived a playoff to make match play and advanced to the round of 32. And at the Senior Am, she also made it to the final 32. In CGA women’s championship action, Moore teamed with Eaton to win the CGA Women’s Brassie.

Hardy, who once made it as far as the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, earned a spot in the round of 32 at that event this year. Then in the Senior Am, she advanced to the Sweet 16, where she lost to eventual champion Lara Tennant.

In previous years, players with strong Colorado connections included on Global Golf Post’s All-Amateur Teams were Kupcho, who was on the Women’s Amateur first team last year, and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who was named to the Women’s Senior Amateur first team in 2013 and ’16.

To view Global Golf Post’s entire list of top amateurs recognized this year, CLICK HERE. A total of 199 players from 24 countries were included on the magazine’s all-amateur teams in 2018.

It’s been a heady time for the best of the best in Colorado golf.

Earlier this year, two twentysomethings born and raised in the Centennial State earned PGA Tour cards for the first time: Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous.

And on Saturday, two of their female counterparts — Colorado natives who grew up in the state — followed suit on the LPGA side.

Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster and Becca Huffer of Denver not only obtained LPGA Tour cards for 2019 through the inaugural Q-Series that concluded on Saturday in Pinehurst, N.C., they did it with plenty of room to spare.

With the top 45 finishers and ties in the eight-round Q-Series landing LPGA status, Kupcho, the NCAA individual champion from Wake Forest, finished second out of 102 players. She played her last eight holes at Pinehurst No. 7 in 4 under par en route to a 2-under 70 on Saturday. Her 17-under-par 559 total left her a stroke behind medalist Jeongeun Lee 6 of South Korea. (Kupcho is pictured above in an LPGA photo.)

“It’s amazing,” Kupcho said by phone on Saturday afternoon. “It was a marathon out there, and I was just kind of plugging along as each day went by. I’ve been shooting for this goal for so long that it’s awesome to just be able to go back to school knowing that I have what I’m going to do after college already in the bank.”

As for Huffer, the 2013 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion and Symetra Tour veteran also landed in the top 10, in 10th place. She closed with a 73 to post a 3-under-par 573 total.

“Going into this week I knew I could do it,” Huffer said, also by phone on Saturday. “I just played my game. I’m excited to get it all done.”

Also earning a card on Saturday was University of Colorado junior Robyn Choi, who’s qualified in Colorado for the last two U.S. Women’s Opens. Choi birdied two of her last three holes on Saturday to land an exemption on the number, tying for 45th place.

After also coming into the final day in 45th place, Choi played her first eight holes in 4 over par. But she went 2 under par the rest of the way to tie for the final qualifying spots. Choi closed with a 2-over-par 74 to finish at 10-over-par 586.

Choi accomplished the feat of qualifying for the LPGA Tour despite starting 79-79 in the Q-Series. The rest of the way, she posted scores of 67-76-74-69-68-74.

While Huffer (left in an LPGA photo) will start her rookie LPGA season early in 2019 given that’s she’s long been a pro, Kupcho confirmed on Saturday that she’ll defer becoming an LPGA member until after her final college season at Wake Forest wraps up in May. Kupcho, who will graduate in May with a degree in communications, has finished sixth, second and first individually in her first three NCAA championships.

“I was always going to go back (to school), no matter what,” she said. “I just want to get the degree and get out and have that as a backup.”

Choi (below in an LPGA photo) will have the same option as Kupcho. Amateurs were given the possibility of a deferment for the first time this fall.

By winning the 2018 McCormack Medal as the top women’s amateur in the world, Kupcho would have automatic spots in next year’s U.S. Women’s Open and Ricoh Women’s British Open — but only if she remained an amateur. But she said she plans to go pro before the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open (May 30-June 2), so she’ll need to qualify to get in the field. Kupcho has played in two U.S. Women’s Opens, finishing 21st in 2017.

In a year in which she won an NCAA individual title, has been the No. 1-ranked women’s golfer in the world, helped three U.S. national teams to titles in international competition and posted her first top-20 finish in an LPGA event, Kupcho achieved a bigger-picture goal on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Littleton native qualified for the LPGA Tour in her first try, and made it look relatively effortless. Kupcho’s only over-par score in the Q-Series came on opening day, when she carded a 1-over 73. She finished 27 strokes ahead of the final players who earned their LPGA cards. Her runner-up showing will give her priority getting into LPGA tournaments over players who finished below her in the Q-Series.

“When it started out (in the Q-Series), the courses seemed so hard,” Kupcho said. “The first week I was just shooting for par, and I took that mentality the rest of the way. I was able to get a couple of really low rounds that helped boost me and give me that cushion.”

Huffer, who like Kupcho won two state high school titles in Colorado, likewise met the standard with plenty to spare — 13 strokes in her case.

“This year I’ve played really well,” she said. “I was feeling really good about my game. The new format they had for Q-Series, I thought it really worked well for my game — consistency and stuff. I was excited to accomplish my goal.”

Indeed, it’s quite an accomplishment for two golfers who have both been CWGA Players of the Year over the last decade — Kupcho three times and Huffer once.

Kupcho won the CWGA Stroke Play title three straight times (2015-17) and the Match Play twice (2014 and ’16), in addition to the Junior Stroke Play in 2014

Huffer, a Denver native and current Monument resident, demonstrated she might be on the verge of a breakthrough with a strong season on the Symetra Tour. The 2012 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier finished 21st on the 2018 Symetra money list, with three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up and a third place. Huffer, a Littleton High School and Notre Dame graduate, is 28 years old. She won the CWGA Match Play title and Junior Stroke Play in 2005 as a 15-year-old. Huffer reportedly is the first Notre Dame alum to earn an LPGA Tour card.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado connections (Note: The first four rounds were played at Pinehurst No. 6, and the final four at Pinehurst No. 7):

Earned LPGA Tour Card
2. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 73-72-68-67-71-69-69-70–559
10. Becca Huffer of Denver 77-76-70-70-68-72-67-73–573
45. CU golfer Robyn Choi 79-79-67-76-74-69-68-74–586
Failed to Earn LPGA Tour Card
93. Former CU golfer Jenny Coleman 75-75-74-72-79-77-76-76–604

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

University of Colorado junior Robyn Choi, who has qualified in Colorado for the last two U.S. Women’s Open, has shot 69-68 the last two days to move up to 45th place. And, coincidentally, the top 45 finishers and ties after Saturday’s eighth round will earn LPGA status for 2019.

Choi made four birdies and no bogeys on Friday at Pinehurst No. 7 and checks in at 8-over-par 512 for seven rounds.

Kupcho and Huffer didn’t complete round 7 before play was suspended due to darkness, so Kupcho will have to go 24 holes on Saturday and Huffer 21. But both are in very good shape to land their cards.

Kupcho, the Wake Forest senior who won the 2018 NCAA individual title, was 3 under par through 12 holes on Friday as she made three birdies and no bogeys on the day and sits at 15 under par overall. The No. 1-ranked women’s amateur in the world remains near the top of the leaderboard — in third place, two strokes behind leader Sarah Schmelzel.

Huffer, the 2013 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion who’s been a regular on the Symetra Tour in recent years, moved up into 10th place on Friday, when she was 4 under par, having made five birdies in her 15 holes. She checked in at 3 under par overall.

Amateurs — such as Kupcho (pictured above in an LPGA photo) and Choi (left, also in an LPGA photo) — who go on to earn their LPGA Tour cards can defer their acceptance of membership until July 1, 2019. That means they could complete their college seasons before joining the LPGA Tour should they qualify.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado connections (Note: The first four rounds were played at Pinehurst No. 6, and the final four are being held at Pinehurst No. 7):

3. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 73-72-68-67-71-69-(-3 through 12)–(-15 overall)
10. Becca Huffer of Denver 77-76-70-70-68-72-(-4 through 15)–(-3 overall)
45. CU golfer Robyn Choi 79-79-67-76-74-69–68–512
95. Former CU golfer Jenny Coleman 75-75-74-72-79-77-76–528

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

It’s little wonder why the two are both near the top of the scoreboard with just two rounds left in the eight-round final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying.

Kupcho, the NCAA individual champion from Wake Forest, has shot just one over-par round in the six played so far — that being a 1-over 73 on day 1. Over the last four rounds, the world’s No. 1-ranked women’s amateur is 13 under par. Overall, she stands at 12-under 420, in a tie for third place and just two strokes out of the lead held by Sarah Schmelzel and Klara Smilkova.

On Thursday, Kupcho posted a 4-under 32 on her first nine and a 3-under 69 for the day. She ended up with five birdies and two bogeys in round 6, held at Pinehurst No. 7.

With the top 45 finishers and ties after Saturday’s final round earning 2019 LPGA Tour cards, Kupcho is in outstanding shape. As of the end of play on Thursday, a 440 total was in 45th place.

Huffer, the 2013 CoBank Colorado Open champion, is seven shots better than the cut-off point as an even-par 72 on Thursday put her at 1-over 433. Over the last four rounds, Huffer is 8 under par.

On Thursday, Huffer had a three-birdie, three-bogey day. The Coloradan has been a regular on the Symetra Tour in recent years.

Amateurs — such as Kupcho (pictured above in a photo courtesy of her family) — who go on to earn their LPGA Tour cards can defer their acceptance of membership until July 1, 2019. That means they could complete their college seasons before joining the LPGA Tour should they qualify.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado connections (Note: The first four rounds were played at Pinehurst No. 6, and the final four are being held at Pinehurst No. 7):

3. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 73-72-68-67-71-69–420
12. Becca Huffer of Denver 77-76-70-70-68-72–433
61. CU golfer Robyn Choi 79-79-67-76-74-69—444
90. Former CU golfer Jenny Coleman 75-75-74-72-79-77–452

For complete results, CLICK HERE.