A grand total of one amateur has won the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open in the first 19 years the tournament has been contested.

Jennifer Kupcho would be only too happy to give Paige Mackenzie, the 2006 champion, some company.

Certainly a victory would be an ideal cap to the season for the 17-year-old from Westminster. In the last three-plus months, Kupcho has won the 4A state high school tournament, the CWGA Junior Stroke Play, the CWGA Match Play and the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship.

On Wednesday, competing against a field that includes roughly a dozen Symetra Tour players, Kupcho shot a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club to grab a one-stroke lead after round 1 of the 54-hole event.

“That was my low round ever, and it was a tough golf course,” said the senior at Jefferson Academy. “It’s a boost of confidence. It’s exciting. I’m kind of in shock right now.”

The Wake Forest recruit birdied six of her final 11 holes after starting with seven consecutive pars. Three of her birdie putts came from at least 15 feet. She capped things off with two straight birdies — an 18-footer on No. 8 (her 17th hole) and a 5-footer on No. 9.

Kupcho holds a one-shot advantage on touring professional Lauren Mielbrecht of Gulf Stream, Fla., who made seven birdies en route to a 67. Three players are tied for third place at 69: Olivia Jordan-Higgins from the island of Jersey off the coast of France; Samantha Richdale of Canada; and Garrett Phillips of St. Simons Island, Ga.

Ironically, Kupcho’s 66 came after she’s significantly cut back on golf after starting her senior year of high school two weeks ago.

“Truthfully, I haven’t played a round except for a practice round here last weekend,” she said. “I kind of just practiced. I took a week and a half off because school started and I didn’t really have time for golf.

“Traveling all over the place (in July) and coming back and being able to take a break was good.”

Kupcho is playing in her third Colorado Women’s Open. She missed the cut in her previous two appearances.

Mielbrecht (left) started her round in style on Wednesday. The 27-year-old went birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie on the way to her 67.

“That was fun, right?” she said. “I was like, ‘He (amateur partner Sai Yamagata) probably thinks I’m not human yet until I make a par.'”

Mielbrecht, who plays a variety of tours — including in Europe and Canada, finished with seven birdies and two bogeys for the day.

The former University of Virginia golfer finished fourth as an amateur in the Colorado Women’s Open in 2007, and is right in the mix again as a professional.

“It’s a fun course to play and I love coming here,” she said. “It was a good day for sure.”

Because of the 1.8 inches of rain (left) that fell on Monday night — and despite considerable course work done by the maintenance staff in the interim — competitors played lift, clean and place on Wednesday.

So Close to the Big Time: Olivia Jordan-Higgins shot a 69 and was among the leaders Wednesday at the Colorado Women’s Open. But she was ever so close to instead competing on the LPGA Tour this year.

The player from the English Channel Island of Jersey finished 11th on the 2013 Symetra Tour money list. The significance of that is that the top 10 automatically earned 2014 LPGA Tour cards.

How close did Jordan-Higgins come to the No. 10 spot? A mere $114.

“I kind of put that down to why I’m mentally struggling this year,” the 26-year-old said Wednesday. “But I’m getting there.”

Jordan-Higgins is 45th on the 2014 Symetra money list. She’s coming off a season-best-tying finish of fifth in the Eagle Classic on Aug. 18.

Notable: Becca Huffer of Denver, who won the tournament last year and finished second in 2012, opened with a 4-over-par 76 and shares 25th place. … The championship player field will be cut to the low 40 players and ties after Thursday’s second round. … Kupcho holds an eight-stroke lead in the amateur competition. Delaney Elliott of Superior stands in second place at 74. … Scott Wylie of Denver and Tara Morris of Dodge City, Kan., shot a 12-under-par 60 and lead the pro-am competition by two.

Scores: For all the scores from the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open, CLICK HERE.

It includes Opening Day in baseball and the Final Four in college basketball.

And golf also fits nicely into the theme, with the first major championships of the men’s and women’s season on tap.

Next week’s Masters and this week’s Kraft Nabisco Championship always draw plenty of attention and generate lots of excitement. But if you’re looking for competitors with strong Colorado connections, the pickings are slim this year.

None of the “local” players who currently hold LPGA Tour cards — former University of Denver golfers Stephanie Sherlock and Sue Kim, and two-time Colorado state high school champion Kelly Jacques — are in the field for the Kraft Nabisco.

And, barring a victory by a local at this week’s Valero Texas Open, the only golfer with major Colorado ties at next week’s Masters will be Evergreen resident Craig Stadler, who earned an annual invitation by winning the 1982 title at Augusta National (pictured).

Stadler, who will turn 60 on June 2, will be making his 37th Masters appearance this year. He played in his first one in 1974 after earning a spot by winning the 1973 U.S. Amateur. He’s competed in every Masters since 1979, making the cut a total of 21 times. The 13-time PGA Tour winner last qualified for the final two rounds at Augusta in 2007, when he finished 49th. Last year, he struggled in posting scores of 81-82 while battling a bulging disc in his back.

Stadler greatly enjoys his annual rite of spring in returning to Augusta, Ga.

“I love coming back here,” he told the U-T San Diego newspaper last year. “I come back a couple of times a year. It never gets old. I’ve probably played here 150 times, and each time I turn in that gate, it is still pretty cool — mystical almost.”

Thirty-one years ago, Stadler overcame 40s on his first and last nine holes of the week to earn his Masters green jacket. “I played pretty good in the middle,” he said of his scores of 75-69-67-73.

After losing the four-stroke lead he held after 11 holes in the final round, Stadler clinched the title by beating Dan Pohl in a one-hole playoff for his only major championship title.

While current and former Coloradans will be in short supply at this year’s Masters and the Kraft Nabisco, the fields for both of those majors will include golfers who have won significant tournaments in the Centennial State. And with the Solheim Cup coming to Colorado in August, the Kraft Nabisco should be of particular interest as U.S. players will earn double the normal number of Solheim Cup points during this week’s tournament.

Here’s a rundown of Masters or Kraft Nabisco participants who have won in Colorado:

— Paige Mackenzie (Kraft Nabisco) is the only amateur ever to win the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open (2006).

— South Korean So Yeon Ryu (Kraft Nabisco) claimed the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open title at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

— Phil Mickelson (Masters) won the International at Castle Pines in 1993 and ’97, the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills in 1990, and the CU Fox Acres Invitational in Red Feather Lakes.

— Ernie Els (Masters) earned the 2000 title at the International.

— Stewart Cink (Masters) prevailed in the 1996 Nike Colorado Classic at Riverdale Dunes in Brighton.

— Jose Maria Olazabal (Masters) won the International in 1991.

— Steven Fox (Masters) claimed the title at last year’s U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.

— Vijay Singh (Masters) was victorious at the 1998 International.

— David Toms (Masters) followed that up by winning the 1999 International title at Castle Pines.