The 21-year-old Westminster resident competed for the third time in an LPGA Tour event, and it’s no doubt obvious by now why this is the top women’s golf circuit in the world. Kupcho (left) played very good golf at the LPGA Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, and she now has an additional standard by which to measure herself.
The senior-to-be at Wake Forest (left, with dad and caddie Mike; photo courtesy of the Kupcho family) never shot a round over par for the four days, and made just two bogeys on the weekend, but with stellar competition, she lost some ground on Sunday. Nevertheless, her 16th-place finish was her best in an LPGA Tour event, surpassing the 21st-place showing at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open.
Kupcho, the Women’s NCAA Division I individual champion and now the top-ranked women’s amateur in the world, received a good bit of air time on the Golf Channel during Sunday’s final round. She started the last day in fifth place, three strokes out of the lead, and was hoping to become the first amateur to win an LPGA Tour event since Lydia Ko in 2013. But a 1-par 70 on Sunday dropped her out of the top 10.
Kupcho, who had her dad Mike caddying for her this week, made a nice pitch to within a foot for a birdie on her final hole to check in at 9-under-par 275, five strokes behind champion Thidapa Suwannapura. Kupcho finished the final round with three birdies and two bogeys. Before bogeying the 13th hole with a three-putt on Sunday, she had gone 30 straight holes on the weekend with no score worse than a par.
“It’s been a great week,” Kupcho said on Saturday. “It’s fun to be around all the pros and have all these fans out here watching us. It’s just a great experience.”
For all the scores from the Marathon Classic, CLICK HERE.
Stacy 28th in U.S. Senior Women’s Open: Part-time Colorado resident Hollis Stacy was remarkably consistent in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club. The three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion posted scores of 77-76-77-76, leaving her with a 14-over-par 306 total.
A final-hole birdie on Sunday gave Stacy a 28th-place finish. Laura Davies, like Stacy a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, cruised to a 10-stroke victory over Juli Inkster in the event, ending up with a 276 total.
Here are the scores for all the Coloradans who competed in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open:
28. Part-time Lakewood resident Hollis Stacy 77-76-77-76–306
Missed 36-Hole Cut
Part-time Gunnison resident Marilyn Hardy 82-77–159
Janet Moore, Centennial 80-81–161
Sherry Andonian-Smith, Centennial 80-81–161
For all the scores from the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, CLICK HERE.
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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.
]]>Otherwise, the Westminster resident would be in line for a payday on the world’s top women’s golf circuit.
Kupcho, who earned a berth in the Marathon Classic by virtue of winning the Women’s NCAA Division I title in May, will be making it a four-day stay in Ohio as she made the 36-hole cut on Friday.
In fact, with rounds of 68-71, the newly minted world’s No. 1-ranked amateur in women’s golf is in the top 30 heading into the weekend. At 3-under-par 139, she shares 26th place and sits six strokes behind co-leaders Brooke Henderson and Caroline Hedwall. (Kupcho is pictured on Friday in a photo courtesy of the Kupcho family.)
It’s the second made cut for Kupcho in three LPGA Tour events. She’s one-for-two at the U.S. Women’s Open, where he finished 21st last year.
On Friday, Kupcho made two birdies and two bogeys in her round of 71. Through 36 holes, she shares low-amateur honors in the event with Bianca Pagdanganan.
For all the scores from the Marathon Classic, CLICK HERE.
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