So you knew it was a big deal — and that something monumental was afoot — on Monday when the Colorado resident and Wake Forest junior broke into a wide smile and pumped her fist after sinking a big-breaking 50-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole in Monday’s final round of the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship Finals in Stillwater, Okla.

That gave Kupcho the lead for good after she had trailed by four strokes earlier in the day, and she went on to become the first player to grow up in Colorado to win the individual Women’s DI national title. In the same vein, she’s the first Wake Forest women’s golfer to win the championship. Interestingly, current Colorado resident Gary Hallberg won the men’s NCAA title while playing for Wake Forest in 1979. Colorado-wise, Boulder resident and University of Colorado golfer Hale Irwin captured the men’s NCAA championship in 1967.

It was a sensational way for Kupcho to celebrate turning 21 a week ago — and her parents’ 35th wedding anniversary on Monday.

“It’s awesome,” she said on the Golf Channel telecast. “It’s so fun to have my teammates here. To win this on my parents’ anniversary is even better. I’m really excited for that.”

It was a doubly redeeming outcome for Kupcho, the No. 3-ranked women’s amateur in the world. She won after a heart-wrenching triple bogey on the penultimate hole of last year’s tournament turned a two-stroke lead into a one-stroke loss. And she won after going bogey-double bogey-bogey on her fifth through seventh holes on Monday dropped her from a tie for the lead to four out of first place.

After what happened in 2017, Monday’s victory “was real exciting,” Kupcho said in a Monday night interview with coloradogolf.org. “After the rough stretch at the beginning of the round, it kind of felt like it was going to be a repeat of last year. When I was finally able to come back with a bunch of birdies, it was a relief and it was awesome to have my team there at the end to celebrate with me.

“When I got to the back nine and started making birdies, my whole team was screaming and being loud, and trying to make me laugh. Them doing that helped, I think. It was a little different today.”

Indeed, even when things went awry on the front nine on Monday, the Westminster resident never gave up, and her perseverance paid off. She made five birdies in her final eight holes to vault back to the top of the leaderboard.

“I was a little bit down” after going 4 over in three holes, Kupcho said. “But my assistant coach (Ryan Potter) was able to help me through that, and I was able to gather myself and relax and make a comeback.”

And when she hit the 482-yard, par-5 18th in two, then two-putted for a closing birdie, there was plenty to celebrate for the three-time CWGA Player of the Year and former member of the Hale Irwin Player Program.

Kupcho threw another fist pump, grinned ear to ear, then laughed as her Wake Forest teammates drenched her with bottles of water they brought onto the green. Then she hugged coach Dianne Dailey, then did the same with mom Janet and dad Mike — who have followed her at every college tournament this season. “Pretty memorable 35th anniversary!” Mike Kupcho would later say by text. In the background on the 18th green, a teammate could be heard on the Golf Channel telecast saying, “You’re a legend.”

Indeed, Kupcho has now finished sixth, second and first in her three appearances at the Women’s NCAA Finals, besides becoming just the second player to win two straight Women’s NCAA Regionals.

Monday’s victory — which the Jefferson Academy graduate called the top accomplishment of her stellar career — was the seventh of her college career, and the fourth of this season. Three of those wins have come since the beginning of April. Suffice it to say she will be a very strong candidate for women’s college player of the year honors after being a finalist last year. And she reiterated Monday night that she’ll return to Wake Forest for her senior season “for sure.”

Kupcho, who had matched the women’s course record at Karsten Creek with a first-round 65, closed with a 1-under-par 71 on Monday to post an 8-under-par 280 total. That was good for a two-shot victory over Andrea Lee of Stanford, the fifth-ranked women’s amateur in the world, and Bianca Pagdanganan of Arizona.

Kupcho became the first Women’s NCAA DI winner to lead after each round since Virada Nirapathpongporn of Duke in 2002. She also established a Wake Forest women’s season-long scoring record (70.6), breaking the mark she set last season.

“I am so happy for Jennifer,” Dailey told wakeforestsports.com. “To be able to come back after last year is fantastic. Jennifer has the heart of a champion and nothing was going to keep her from winning it this year. She has worked hard all year for this moment.”

(May 22 Update: Dailey retired on Tuesday after 30 years at the Wake Forest helm.)

CU sophomore Robyn Choi, who qualified in Westminster last week for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open, finished 21st on Monday, the best individual showing ever by a Buff in the Women’s NCAA Finals. Choi, who made the 54-hole cut as an individual as CU missed the team cut, closed with a 72 for a 4-over 292 total.

Interestingly, Kupcho was also in the U.S. Women’s Open qualifying field in Westminster last week, but an off day (74-75) ended her streak of competing in U.S. Women’s Opens at two. She placed 21st in the national championship last summer.

Kupcho’s victory on Monday was the second national championship victory this month by players with strong Colorado connections. Colorado State University teammates Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor earlier won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball title in California.

Monday’s win will make Kupcho’s coming months even more busy. Already part of the U.S. teams for the Curtis Cup and the Arnold Palmer Cup, Kupcho now receives an invitation to the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic, which will be played July 12-15 in Sylvania, Ohio.

Women’s NCAA Division I Finals

May 18-21, 2018 (final) in Stillwater, Okla.
19. (out of 24 teams) Colorado 306-301-297–904
21. Robyn Choi 75-75-70-72–292
42. Brittany Fan 75-74-74–223
67. Kirsty Hodgkins 74-77-76–227
104. Alisha Lau 82-75-77–234
127. Gillian Vance 82-79-85–246
Also
1. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 65-74-70-71–280
67. Coloradan Hannah Wood, Oklahoma 77-77-73–227

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

The Westminster resident, who led after the first two rounds of this year’s tournament in Stillwater, Okla., remained tied for the top spot after 54 holes as the Wake Forest junior shot a 2-under-par 70 on Sunday.

Kupcho, the No. 3-ranked women’s amateur in the world, will take a 7-under 209 total into Monday’s nationally televised final round (2-6 p.m. MT on Golf Channel). Also at that figure is Alabama junior Cheyenne Knight, who likewise carded a third-round 70. Kupcho will tee off for the final round at 12:40 p.m. MT on Monday.

One stroke behind the leaders are Jaclyn Lee of Ohio State (66 Sunday) and Bianca Pagdanganan of Arizona.

It’s a remarkably similar position as Kupcho was in last year. In 2017, she took a one-stroke lead into the final round of the NCAA Finals. And she went on to lead — or at least share the lead — through the first 16 holes of the final round. But a triple bogey on her penultimate hole — where her wedge shot on the par-4 17th hole hit the bank short of the green and rolled back into the water — led to a runner-up finish.

And now Kupcho (pictured) is back for another run at the NCAA individual title after finishing second as a sophomore and sixth as a freshman. And if she’s successful this time, she’ll become the first person to grow up in Colorado and capture a Women’s NCAA Division I individual title.

Kupcho — winner of six individual college victories in her career, including three this season — made four birdies and two bogeys in Sunday’s round, when she was paired with University of Colorado senior Brittany Fan, who defeated Kupcho in the semifinals of the 2015 CWGA Match Play. The Wake Forest golfer, who will play on the U.S. Curtis Cup team next month, has added a 74 and a 70 to the women’s course record-tying 65 she shot in Friday’s first round at Karsten Creek.

On Sunday Kupcho was 3 under par through 12 holes and alone in the lead, but bogeyed 13 and 15 before closing with a birdie.

After Sunday’s third round, the field was cut to 15 teams plus the top nine individuals not on those teams. Those teams and individuals will play the final stroke play round on Monday, when the individual champion will be determined, along with the eight teams that will advance to match play.

CU, competing in the Women’s NCAA Finals for the first time since 2012, ended up on the wrong side of the cut line on Sunday and saw its season end as a team. The Buffs finished in 19th place out of the 24-team field. They shot a 9-over-par 297 total on Sunday to post a three-day tally of 40-over 904.

While her teammates are done for the season, CU sophomore Robyn Choi, who qualified in Colorado Monday for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open, made the 54-hole cut as an individual. She shares 24th place at 4-over-par 220 after a third-round 70.

Kupcho’s Wake Forest squad also failed to make the team cut as four schools tied for 15th place, but Louisville moved on as it had the best dropped scores of the four. Kupcho will advance to Monday as an individual.

Coloradan Hannah Wood saw her college career end as her Oklahoma team finished in 20th place at 905. Individually, Wood placed 67th at 227.

Women’s NCAA Division I Finals
May 18-21, 2018 in Stillwater, Okla.
19. (out of 24 teams) Colorado 306-301-297–904
24. Robyn Choi 75-75-70–220
42. Brittany Fan 75-74-74–223
67. Kirsty Hodgkins 74-77-76–227
104. Alisha Lau 82-75-77–234
127. Gillian Vance 82-79-85–246
Also
T1. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 65-74-70–209
67. Coloradan Hannah Wood, Oklahoma 77-77-73–227

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Still, the Wake Forest junior emerged from Saturday’s play in Stillwater, Okla., still at the top of the individual leaderboard. The only difference is now she has company.

Kupcho, a Westminster resident who has finished sixth and second in her first two NCAA Finals appearances, saw her three-stroke first-round lead in the tournament disappear in her first seven holes on Saturday as she made four bogeys, two pars and a birdie in that opening stretch. But she played the remainder of her round in 1 under par to post a 2-over-par 74 on Saturday.

That left the world’s No. 3-ranked women’s amateur at 5-under-par 139 at the halfway point of the stroke-play portion of the event at Karsten Creek.

Also at 139 through 36 holes are Cheyenne Knight of Alabama (69 Saturday) and Bianca Pagdanganan of Arizona (68). In fourth place alone at 140 is Lilia Vu of UCLA, the No. 1-ranked women’s amateur in the world, who carded a second-round 68. Kupcho and Vu will be U.S. Curtis Cup teammates in that competition next month. Kuphco (pictured) has won three individual titles this season, including her second consecutive NCAA Regional, while Vu owns four victories.

On Saturday, Kupcho finished her round with three birdies — including one on the final hole — and five bogeys.

After Sunday’s third round, the field will be cut to 15 teams plus the top nine individuals not on those teams. Those teams and individuals will play the final stroke play round on Monday, when the individual champion will be determined, along with the eight teams that will advance to match play.

Among the teams battling to make the Sunday cut is the University of Colorado, which is making its first Women’s NCAA Finals appearance since 2012. The Buffs finished Saturday very close to where they started it, dropping from 13th to 14th place. They recorded a 13-over-par 301 total on Saturday and check in at 31-over 607.

Senior Brittany Fan leads the way for CU individually as a second-round 74 left her at 5-over 149 and tied for 36th place. Robyn Choi, who qualified in Colorado on Monday for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open, is at 150, while fellow sophomore Kirsty Hodgkins is at 151. Hodgkins had been in the top 15 individually after 27 holes, but a 6-over 42 on the back nine dropped her back.

Sharing 14th place with CU at 607 is Kupcho’s Wake Forest team. And Coloradan Hannah Wood’s Oklahoma squad shares 19th place at 610.

Women’s NCAA Division I Finals
May 18-21, 2018 in Stillwater, Okla.
14. (out of 24 teams) Colorado 306-301–607
36. Brittany Fan 75-74–149
44. Robyn Choi 75-75–150
54. Kirsty Hodgkins 74-77–151
98. Alisha Lau 82-75–157
115. Gillian Vance 82-79–161
Also
T1. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 65-74–139
77. Coloradan Hannah Wood, Oklahoma 77-77–154

For complete results, CLICK HERE.