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.