Kupcho, the Westminster resident who’s ranked No. 1 in the world among women amateurs, completed her title defense in the Canadian Women’s Amateur on Friday by finishing in sixth place in a very strong field in Vancouver.

Kupcho shot a course-record 64 — needing just 24 putts — in the opening round at Marine Drive Golf Club, then backed it up with scores of 75-70-68 for a 7-under-par 277 total.

That left the Women’s NCAA individual champion from Wake Forest four strokes behind winner Yealimi Noh of Concord, Calif. (Kupcho is pictured in a photo courtesy of her family.)

Noh, 16, has been making weekly headlines in July by winning the national Girls Junior PGA Championship and the U.S. Girls’ Junior title. In Vancouver, she made it three victories in a row by going 66-69-67-71.

Also in the field in Canada was Lilia Vu, the No. 2-ranked women’s amateur in the world. The UCLA golfer tied for third at 274.

For all the scores from the Canadian Women’s Amateur, CLICK HERE.
 

In a match played over the course of two days due to earlier fog delays, the former Parker resident grabbed the lead for the first time after the 14th hole at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif. Then the current San Marino, Calif., resident went on to record a 2 and 1 victory Thursday morning over Madelyn Gamble of Pleasant Hill, Calif.

That gives the Harvard-bound Wang (left in a USGA photo) a spot in the round of 32 in her final U.S. Girls’ Junior.

Wang, who finished 34th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and is currently No. 107 in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, was 2 down on three occasions, including after 10 holes. But she won 11, 13 and 14 with birdies to take the lead — and for good. She closed out the match Thursday morning with a another hole-winning birdie on the par-3 17th.

The 2015 Girls Junior PGA Champion finished the day with five birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey.

Both the round of 32 and the round of 16 are scheduled for later Thursday.

Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties who competed — or are still competing — at Poppy Hills:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang def. Madelyn Gamble of Plesant Hill, Calif., 2 and 1

STROKE PLAY
23. Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang 75-70–145
ҬFailed to Advance to Match Play
147. Meghan Vogt, Broomfield 88-80–168
151. Morgan Ryan, Centennial 84-88–172

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Wang, who finished 34th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, fell in the round of 32 to Yujeong Son of South Korea and Norman, Okla., 3 and 2. Son likewise played in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and is the No. 22-ranked women’s amateur in the world.

Wang, who lived in Colorado until moving to California in 2010, led 1 up after 2 holes, but trailed the entire back nine. Son led 1 up through 12, then won No. 13 with a par and No. 14 with a birdie, and halved the remaining two holes to close out the match.

Wang, the 2015 national Girls Junior PGA Champion, was 3 over par for the 16 holes in the round of 32, while Son was even par.

Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties who competed at Poppy Hills:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32
Yujeong Son, South Korea, def. former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang, 3 and 2

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang def. Madelyn Gamble of Plesant Hill, Calif., 2 and 1

STROKE PLAY
23. Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang 75-70–145″¨
Failed to Advance to Match Play
147. Meghan Vogt, Broomfield 88-80–168
151. Morgan Ryan, Centennial 84-88–172

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Wang, who lived in Colorado until moving to California in 2010, stands in 25th place in the 36-hole stroke-play portion of the event. The top 64 earn spots in match play, which begins on Wednesday, though stroke play didn’t conclude as scheduled on Tuesday evening due to a long fog delay.

Wang, the 2015 national Junior PGA Championship winner who is Harvard-bound in the fall, made two birdies and one bogey in round 2 to post a 3-over-par 145 total.

Meanwhile, the two Colorado residents in the field won’t advance to match play, though Morgan Ryan of Centennial will finish her second round of stroke play on Wednesday as the fog delay kept her from doing so on Tuesday.

Ryan, who qualified for the national championship in Beatrice, Neb., was 23 over par for the first 28 holes of the event when play was stopped due to darkness on Tuesday night. That put her in 142nd place. Meghan Vogt of Broomfield did complete round 2, going 88-80 for a 26-over 168 total, leaving her in 148th place. (Ryan and Vogt are pictured together.)

Fifteen-year-old Lucy Li of Redwood Shores, Calif., appears headed for medalist honors for the second straight year at this event, going 62-69 for an 11-under-par 131 total, one more than the 36-hole record for the event. But some players on the leaderboard haven’t yet finished round 2.

Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties competing at Poppy Hills:

25. Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang 75-70–145
Ҭ142. Morgan Ryan, Centennial 84-(10 over through 10 holes in round 2)
148. Meghan Vogt, Broomfield 88-80–168

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Then she took a ride on the bogey train.

Wang, a former resident of Parker now living in San Marino, Calif., bogeyed four straight holes starting on No. 13, dropping her from near the top of the scoreboard to a more tenous position.

The 2015 national Girls Junior PGA Champion finished Monday’s first round of stroke play with a 4-over-par 75, which left her in a tie for 51st place out of the 156-player field.

Wang, an 18-year-old who finished 34th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, will need to place in the top 64 after Tuesday’s second round to advance to match play, which begins on Wednesday. She made a birdie and five bogeys on Monday.

Meanwhile, the two current Colorado residents in the field, Morgan Ryan of Centennial and Meghan Vogt of Broomfield, shot 84 and 88 in round 1, respectively.

Ryan posted 10 pars, but also had two triple bogeys. Vogt had two “2s” on her card, but also two “8s”.

Teenage sensation Lucy Li recorded a 9-under-par 62 on Monday to lead the stroke play portion of the event by four shots with one round remaining.

Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties competing at Poppy Hills:

51. Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang 75
137. Morgan Ryan, Centennial 84
Ҭ150. Meghan Vogt, Broomfield 88

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

One thing she hasn’t yet done is qualify for the U.S. Girls’ Junior. But next week will present a great opportunity to rectify that situation.

When the qualifying tournament is held on Tuesday (June 26), it will take place at Schalk’s home course, Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, where her dad Matt is the PGA general manager.

The 2017 JGAC Girls Player of the Year will be one of 33 competitors in the field competing for three spots in the national championship, set for Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach, Calif., July 16-21.

Two JGAC members who played in the 2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior will also be vying for spots — Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village and Nebraskan Shelby Poynter.

Among the other players seeking national spots are University of Colorado-bound Kelsey Webster of Boulder, who just finished third in the CGA Women’s Stroke Play; past girls state high school champs Emma Bryant of Aurora, Lauren Lehigh of Loveland and Amy Chitkoksoong of Aurora; and Kaylee Chen of Denver, winner of the Big I Junior Classic state title.

For Tuesday’s tee times at Colorado National, CLICK HERE.
 

This year, two Coloradans made the 156-player field, plus a Nebraskan who is a member of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado. But taking the next step — advancing to the 64-person match-play bracket — proved too high of a hurdle this week.

Jaclyn Murray (left) of Grand Junction, competing in the event for the second time, was the top Colorado finisher, placing 89th. The 18-year-old, headed for the University of Colorado, went 77-79 for a 14-over-par 156 total. She made one birdie for the second straight day.

And Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village, who like Murray will represent Colorado next week in the Girls Junior America’s Cup, ended up in 128th place. The 15-year-old carded rounds of 81-80 for a 19-over-par 161 total. She likewise had one birdie on Tuesday.

JGAC member Shelby Poynter of Scottsbluff, Neb., recorded rounds of 92-82 for a 32-over-par 174 total that left her in 149th place.

Fourteen-year-old Lucy Li of Redwood Shores, Calif., earned medalist honors at 5-under 137 after rounds of 71-66. The golfers at 152 played off for the final spot in match play.

Here are scores for the Coloradans — and the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado members — competing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior this week:

Failed to Advance to Match Play
89. Jaclyn Murray, Grand Junction 77-79–156
128. Charlotte Hillary, Cherry Hills Village 81-80–161
149. Shelby Poynter, JGAC member from Scottsbluff, Neb. 92-82–174

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

With the top 64 players after Tuesday’s second round of stroke play advancing to match play, Jaclyn Murray of Grand Junction sits in 73rd place of out 156 competitors, while Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village is 121st, and Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado member Shelby Poynter of Scottsbluff, Neb., is 154th.

Murray, who will represent Colorado next week in the Girls Junior America’s Cup, made one birdie and shot a 6-over-par 77 in Monday’s opening round after being even-par for her first nine holes. Murray is competing in her second U.S. Girls’ Junior.

Hillary, who likewise will be on the state’s Girls JAC team next week, carded three birdies in a round of 81. And Poynter posted a 92 due in part to the 10 she took on the par-4 second hole.

Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., leads after round 1 following her 4-under-par 67. Only seven players broke par on Monday.

Here are scores for the Coloradans — and the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado members — competing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior this week:

73. Jaclyn Murray, Grand Junction 77
121. Charlotte Hillary, Cherry Hills Village 81
154. Shelby Poynter, JGAC member from Scottsbluff, Neb. 92

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

At the Junior Amateur in Ooltewah, Tenn., Griffin Barela of Lakewood fell five strokes shy of the playoff to determine the last of the 64 competitors to advance to match play, while Trevor Olkowski missed the mark by nine.

Barela posted rounds of 76-80 for a 12-over-par 156 total. Olkowski checked in at 160 after going 81-79.

Easton Paxton of Riverton, Wyo., a member of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, missed the playoff by one as he went 77-75–152.

At the Girls’ Junior in Paramus, N.J., Kiselya Plewe of Cortez missed the playoff for the 64th and final match play spot by three strokes. The Weber State signee carded scores of 84-75 for a 13-over-par 159 total.

One player with local ties who did make match play was Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., who once lived in Colorado. Wang, winner of last year’s national Junior PGA Championship, followed up a 79 with a 1-under-par 72 on Tuesday to post a 5-over 151 total. She finished 28th in stroke play.

(July 20 Update: Wang lost in her round-of-64 match 3 and 2 to Yu Chiang Hou of Chinese Taipei.)

For scores from the U.S. Junior Amateur, CLICK HERE.

For scores from the U.S. Girls’ Junior, CLICK HERE.

U.S. Junior Amateur
The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
MC. Easton Paxton of Riverton, Wyo (JGAC member) 77-75–152
MC. Griffin Barela of Lakewood 76-80–156
MC. Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction 81-79–160

U.S. Girls’ Junior
The Ridgewood CC in Paramus, N.J.
28. Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif. 79-72–151
MC. Kiselya Plewe of Cortez 84-75–159
 

With the top 64 players after two stroke-play rounds of each tournament advancing to match play, Griffin Barela of Lakewood shot a 4-over-par 76 Monday and is tied for 79th place in the U.S. Junior Amateur at The Honors Course (left) in Ooltewah, Tenn., while Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction posted an 81, leaving him in 130th place.

Barela made two birdies and six bogeys on Monday, while Olkowski carded two birdies, three bogeys and four double bogeys.

Easton Paxton of Riverton, Wyo., a Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado member, shot a first-round 77, putting him in 91st place.

After day 1, 64th place fell at 75.

Meanwhile, at the U.S. Girls’ Junior in Parasmus, N.J., Kiselya Plewe of Cortez opened with an 11-over-par 84, leaving the Weber State signee in 135th place. Plewe posted five bogeys and three double bogeys on Monday.

Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang, winner of last year’s national Junior PGA Championship, recorded a 79, good for 79th place.

Sixty-fourth place after round 1 fell at 77.

For scores from the U.S. Junior Amateur, CLICK HERE.

For scores from the U.S. Girls’ Junior, CLICK HERE.