He and his partner Braden Baer won the regionals at TopGolf in Centennial in 2016 and advanced to the national semifinals in Las Vegas before bowing out.

Then this year, Kupcho and former University of Northern Colorado teammate Conner Barr again won the regional title — on July 30 in Centennial — to advance and again made the eight-team match-play stage of the national event in Las Vegas. This time, however, Kupcho and Barr fell in Sunday night’s quarterfinals 289-238 to a team from Dallas-Fort Worth.

So that’s two top-eight finishes nationally in the last three years for Kupcho, the older brother of women’s NCAA Division I champion Jennifer Kupcho, who earned her 2019 LPGA Tour card on Saturday. Steven Kupcho, the 2012 CGA Amateur champion from Westminster, will compete this week in the second stage of Web.com Tour Q-school in McKinney, Texas.

Twenty-three two-person teams from around the country competed at TopGolf Las Vegas in the Tour Championship, where $50,000 went to the winning team. Eight teams emerged from two heats of preliminary competition to earn spots in the match-play bracket. Kupcho and Barr (pictured, with Kupcho at left) finished second in their heat and were seeded third in the match-play bracket.

A team from Austin, Texas claimed the title.

In Topgolf, players hit microchipped golf balls at targets with varying point values. In the Topgolf Tour competition, the players alternate shots.

Though the Centennial Topgolf location is the only one currently operating in Colorado, it will soon have company. Topgolf announced last month that it has broken ground on a second location in the Denver metro area, in Thornton at I-25 and E. 160th Ave. The 65,000-square-foot, three-level facility is scheduled to open to the public in late 2019. It will have 102 climate-controlled hitting bays, a restaurant and three bars. There will be 250 HD televisions, a rooftop terrace with fire pits and 3,000 square feet of space devoted to private events.

The Centennial Topgolf opened in August 2015 and employs 500, the same number that is expected in Thornton.
 

But that quarterfinal hurdle has proven to be a giant one for the 57-year-old Greeley native.

Eaton (pictured) will have to wait for another year to try to overcome that hurdle for the first time as on Wednesday she fell to 0-4 in quarterfinals at this national championship.

This time, at Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club, Eaton lost in the quarters to Georgia Golf Hall of Famer Laura Coble of Augusta, 3 and 2. Seven years ago, Coble defeated Eaton in the round of 32 en route to finishing runner-up in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Eaton never led Wednesday against Coble, a six-time Georgia State Women’s Amateur champion. Coble parred the first 13 holes of the match and was 4 up at that point before Eaton won her only hole of the day, with a par on No. 14. The players then halved No. 15 with bogeys and No. 16 with pars to wrap things up.

Coble, who won the first three holes on Wednesday, finished 2 over par for 16 holes. Eaton, who finished second in the stroke-play portion of the national championship, was 6 over par for the day.

By making it to the quarters, Eaton will be exempt from qualifying for the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

Eaton previously reached the Senior Women’s Am quarterfinals in 2009, 2011 and 2014.

Here are the results of all the players with strong Colorado ties who competed in Massachusetts:

MATCH PLAY QUARTERFINALS
Laura Coble of Augusta, Ga. def. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, 3 and 2

ROUND OF 16
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy, 2 and 1

ROUND OF 32
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Cindy Fentross of West Boylston, Mass., 7 and 6
Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy def. Marie Torti of Canada, 5 and 4

ROUND OF 64
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Deborah Anderson of La Quinta, Calif., 7 and 6
Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy def. Sandra Turbide of Canada, 2 up
Lisa McGill of Philadelphia def. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen, 5 and 4
Karen Garcia of Cool, Calif., def. Janet Moore of Centennial, 6 and 5

STROKE PLAY
Advanced to Match Play
2. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 81-72–153
9. Part-time Gunninson-area resident Marilyn Hardy 76-81–157
27. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial 78-83–161
61. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen 87-81–168

Failed to Advance to Match Play
75. Deb Hughes of Denver 88-83–171
97. Bev Hoffenberg of Littleton 89-85–174
101. Sue Hartwell of Arvada 90-85–175
122. Sandy Young of Monument 94-90–184

For all the scores from the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, CLICK HERE.

In a matchup of players with strong Colorado connections, Eaton defeated part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy in Tuesday afternoon’s round of 16, 2 and 1 at Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club.

Eaton (pictured in a USGA photo) trailed only once in the match — she was 1 down after the front nine — and finished 3 over par for 17 holes. She parred all eight holes she played on the back nine. Hardy, who’s also been a quarterfinalist in this event, was 5 over par against Eaton, who now lives in Mesa, Ariz.

Eaton won the 10th, 11th and 14th holes with pars to build a lead she wouldn’t relinquish.

In Tuesday morning’s round of 32, Eaton cruised to her second straight 7-and-6 win — this one over Cindy Fentross of West Boylston, Mass. Hardy advanced to the round of 16 with a 5-and-4 victory over Canadian Marie Torti.

In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Eaton will face Georgia Golf Hall of Fame inductee Laura Coble, of Augusta, Ga., a finalist in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am.

Eaton previously reached the U.S. Senior Women’s Am quarterfinals in 2009, 2011 and 2014. She hasn’t yet earned a berth in the semifinals.

Here are the results of all the players with strong Colorado ties who competed in Massachusetts:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 16
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy, 2 and 1

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Cindy Fentross of West Boylston, Mass, 7 and 6
Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy def. Marie Torti of Canada, 5 and 4

ROUND OF 64
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Deborah Anderson of La Quinta, Calif., 7 and 6
Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy def. Sandra Turbide of Canada, 2 up
Lisa McGill of Philadelphia def. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen, 5 and 4
Karen Garcia of Cool, Calif., def. Janet Moore of Centennial, 6 and 5

STROKE PLAY
2. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 81-72–153
9. Part-time Gunninson-area resident Marilyn Hardy 76-81–157
27. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial 78-83–161
61. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen 87-81–168

Failed to Advance to Match Play
75. Deb Hughes of Denver 88-83–171
97. Bev Hoffenberg of Littleton 89-85–174
101. Sue Hartwell of Arvada 90-85–175
122. Sandy Young of Monument 94-90–184
   
For all the scores from the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, CLICK HERE.