In her college career at Wake Forest, Kupcho has earned individual titles in two consecutive Women’s NCAA Regionals — becoming only the second player to accomplish that feat — in addition to placing sixth as a freshman. And she’s finished sixth and second in the NCAA Finals.

And on Friday in Stillwater, Okla., the Coloradan (pictured Friday in a Wake Forest photo) certainly showed no signs of letting up.

Kupcho, competing in the final college tournament of her junior season, made a 30-foot eagle on the last hole of her opening round of the NCAA Finals and shot a cool 7-under-par 65 at Karsten Creek, tying the women’s course record. Twice she chipped in for birdies. This comes 10 days after Kupcho fired a personal-best 64 en route to her NCAA Regional victory in Tallahassee, Fla.

Her Friday effort left Kupcho with a three-stroke lead with three rounds of stroke play remaining in the NCAA Finals.

“I was kind of shooting for 2 under and it just kept going,” Kupcho told Golfweek. “I was like, ‘OK, here we go.'”

The 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup team member finished the day with an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys.

Kupcho, who is attempting to become the first Colorado resident to win the Women’s NCAA Division I individual national golf title, is three in front of Janet Mao of Northwestern. And in third place, at 69, is Jillian Hollis of Georgia, who qualified in Colorado on Monday for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Kupcho, who sits No. 3 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, owns six individual college wins, including three this season.

Last year, she led for the first 16 holes of the final round of the NCAA Finals and was up by two strokes with two holes to play. But a triple bogey on the 17th hole led to a runner-up finish.

Meanwhile, the University of Colorado, which is competing as a team in the Women’s NCAA Finals for the first time since 2012, shot an 18-over-par 306 in Friday’s first round. That left the Buffs in a tie for 13th place out of 24 teams, 15 strokes behind leader Southern California, also of the Pac-12 Conference. Likewise at 306 is Kupcho’s Wake Forest squad.

Sophomore Kirsty Hodgkins led the way for CU with a 2-over-par 74 after making birdies on her final two holes on Friday, which left her in 28th place individually. Sophomore Robyn Choi, who qualified in Colorado on Monday for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open, and senior Brittany Fan matched 75s for the Buffs.

The top eight team finishers after four rounds of stroke play will advance to the match play portion of the event, which starts Tuesday.

Women’s NCAA Division I Finals
May 18-21, 2018 in Stillwater, Okla.
13. (out of 24 teams) Colorado 306
28. Kirsty Hodgkins 74
35. Brittany Fan 75
35. Robyn Choi 75
111. Gillian Vance 82
111. Alisha Lau 82
Also
1. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 65
68. Coloradan Hannah Wood, Oklahoma 77
 

University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi has never competed in a USGA championship other than the one that’s considered by many to be the most prestigious tournament in women’s golf.

And now, to add to that oddity, Choi on Monday qualified for her second consecutive U.S. Women’s Open.

“It’s the biggest tournament,” Choi said. “I feel like I’ve had a big jump. I feel like I’m missing the (USGA) in-betweeners. I think it’s weird.”

Weird in a good way, that is.

The CU sophomore shot rounds of 66-70 to earn qualifying medalist honors at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster with a 6-under-par 136 total.

Landing the only other available berth out of a field of 48 players on Monday was Jillian Hollis, a University of Georgia junior from the Cleveland area, who posted scores of 69-71 for a 140 total. (The qualifiers are pictured, with Choi at left.)

The result is that in two weeks, Choi and Hollis will be headed to one of the majors in women’s golf, this year set for Shoal Creek near Birmingham, Ala., May 31-June 3.

Choi, a 20-year-old from Australia, shot a bogey-free round in the morning, then after struggling somewhat on the front nine of the afternoon round, she played her final eight holes in 3 under par. For the day, she finished with 10 birdies and four bogeys.

“It’s a tournament I really wanted to go back to because I gained a lot of experience from it (last year),” Choi said of the Women’s Open. “I’m excited to play again so I can progress on and hopefully become a better player.

“Last year it wasn’t like ‘I have to get there’ (in the 36-hole qualifying tournament) because I didn’t have any expectations of myself. But because I made it last year it was something I really wanted to do again. It was definitely one of my main goals this year.”

Choi (left) missed the cut at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open by seven strokes, and has set a goal to play on the weekend this year at the national championship. And she thinks she’s up for that jump. After often hitting her drives 20 or 30 yards short of other competitors at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open, Choi has increased her swing speed and has picked up 20 yards or so on her drives.

That’s helped her move up to No. 88 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Hollis, winner of four individual college titles in her three seasons at the University of Georgia, plans to forego her final year of NCAA eligibility and turn pro just prior to the Women’s Open. And she’ll do it coming off a strong spring in which she won twice in the college ranks — including on her 21st birthday — and qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open.

On Monday, Hollis finished with seven birdies and five birdies. And she would have challenged for medalist honors had she not finished her 36-hole day by going bogey-bogey-bogey.

“Qualifying is definitely very sweet,” said Hollis, who will have full status on the Symetra Tour once she turns pro. “It means a ton. I love golf and the competition; that’s why I play. I love it so much. This is so neat to fight and grind for something — especially over 36 holes like this — and to make it through.”

Hollis punctuated her good play on Monday with a 90-yard chip-in for birdie on her sixth hole of the afternoon round.

Before going to the U.S. Women’s Open, both Choi and Hollis will head to Stillwater, Okla., this week to compete in the Women’s NCAA Championship Finals, which start on Friday.

Colorado State University golfer Katrina Prendergast, who recently paired with teammate Ellen Secor to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, landed the first alternate spot from The Ranch qualifier on Monday after rounds of 72-71 left her at 143.

Jennifer Kupcho (left) of Westminster, who qualified for the last two U.S. Women’s Opens and finished 21st at last year’s national championship, struggled on Monday — her 21st birthday — and failed to make it three in a row. Playing at a course at which she works during the summer and often practices, the U.S. Curtis Cup team member managed just two birdies in 36 holes while recording seven bogeys and one double bogey.

The recent winner of her second consecutive NCAA Regional tournament, Kupcho shot rounds of 74-75.

“To sum it up, I didn’t hit the ball well,” said Kupcho, the 2017 Women’s NCAA runner-up. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen myself hit the ball this bad. It was just all over the place. I couldn’t really do anything. It was a tough day, scrambling all around.

“It surprised me a little bit because I was hitting it so well at (NCAA) Regionals and I’ve been hitting it so well the three days I’ve been back (in Colorado). Then I get out here and can’t even hit the broad side of a barn.”

Asked what she was going to do for the remainder of her 21st birthday, Kupcho said she wasn’t certain. “But I’ll definitely have a drink, don’t worry,” she said with a smile.

Then it’s off to Stillwater for the Women’s NCAA Finals. And she doesn’t think there will be any hangover — no pun intended — from her day on the course Monday.

“I think I should be good,” she said. “Just forget about it. It was one bad day. You always have a bad day. Since I was playing well and hitting it well leading up to it, I’m not worried.”

U.S. Women’s Open qualifying tournaments have been held in Colorado each year since 2011. In 2018, 25 qualifying events are being contested worldwide, including 21 in the U.S.
 

U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying
At Par-71 The Ranch CC in Westminster
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
Robyn Choi, Australia 66-70–136
Jillian Hollis, Rocky River, Ohio 69-71–140

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Katrina Prendergast, Sparks, Nev. 72-71–143
Jessica Vasilic, Anaheim Hills, Calif. 71-73–144

For complete scores, CLICK HERE.