Kupcho’s opening round 66 leads CO Women’s Open by 1

Denver, CO Amateur Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, CO, a high school senior at Jefferson Academy, fired an opening round 66 (6-under) to take a one stroke lead at the HealthONE Colorado Women’s Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. Kupcho, who has verbally committed to play for Wake Forest University next fall, made six birdies on the day with no bogeys blemishing her card. She made the turn at 2-under and added four more birdies on her inward nine, two of which came on her final two holes.

Kupcho leads by one over Lauren Mielbrecht of Gulf Stream, FL who’s 5-under 67 included seven birdies against two bogeys. Mielbrecht, who started on the back nine, raced to an early lead in the morning wave by birdieing her first four holes of the day. Three players, all regulars on the Symetra Tour, are tied for third just two back of Mielbrecht. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, BC Canada, Olivia Jordan-Higgins of Jersey, United Kingdom and Garrett Phillips of St. Simons Island, GA each posted 3-under par 69 in the opening round.

In total eight players posted under-par scores on the difficult par-72 course with two others shooting even par 72.

In the pro-am competition Tara Morris of Dodge City, KS and her amateur partner Scott Wylie lead by two strokes after recording a blistering 12-under par 60. Their card included three eagles, seven birdies and one bogey. Colorado Open Golf Foundation founder Pat Hamill and his pro partner Katie Kempter of Albuquerque, NM are tied for second with Samantha Richdale and her amateur partner Jay Small of Aurora, CO at 10-under par 62.

All competitors play again Thursday with a cut to the low 60% and ties of the championship field and 40% and ties of the pro-am teams after the second round. Friday’s final round players will be vying for their share of the $75,000 purse.

Parking and admission are free to the public and spectator reservations are not required at the HealthONE Colorado Women’s open.

1   Jennifer Kupcho (a)     Westminster, CO             32-34–66 -6 
2   Lauren Mielbrecht       Gulf Stream, FL             35-32–67 -5 
T3  Olivia Jordan-Higgins   Jersey, United Kingdom      35-34–69 -3 
T3  Samantha Richdale       Kelowna, BC Canada          33-36–69 -3 
T3  Garrett Phillips        St. Simons Island, GA       34-35–69 -3 
T6  Carlie Yadloczky        Casselberry, FL             36-35–71 -1 
T6  Caroline Powers         Bowling Green, OH           35-36–71 -1 
T6  Mary Narzisi            Omaha, NE                   35-36–71 -1 
T9  Inhong Lim              Seoul, South Korea          37-35–72 E  
T9  Alice Kim               San Dimas, CA               35-37–72 E  
T11 Jasi Acharya            Columbus, MT                38-35–73 +1 
T11 Karlin Beck             Montgomery, AL              36-37–73 +1 
T11 Kendall Dye             Phoenix, AZ                 34-39–73 +1 
T11 Emily Talley            Napa, CA                    36-37–73 +1 
T11 Ashley Tait             Littleton, CO               37-36–73 +1 
T16 Delaney Elliott (a)     Superior, CO                35-39–74 +2 
T16 Angela King             Westminster, CO             36-38–74 +2 
T18 Calli Ringsby (a)       Denver, CO                  36-39–75 +3 
T18 Michelle Shin           Cape Coral, FL              39-36–75 +3 
T18 Jackie Smith            Magnolia, TX                37-38–75 +3 
T18 Kim Welch               Sacramento, CA              39-36–75 +3 
T18 Tara Morris             Dodge City, KS              38-37–75 +3 
T18 Kathleen Kershisnik (a) Highlands Ranch, CO         41-34–75 +3 
T18 Katie Kempter           Albuquerque, NM             34-41–75 +3 
T25 Catherine O'Donnell     Ponte Vedra, FL             39-37–76 +4 
T25 Jessi White             Bellingham, WA              36-40–76 +4 
T25 Becca Huffer            Denver, CO                  38-38–76 +4 
T25 Erin Houtsma            Denver, CO                  38-38–76 +4 
T29 Patricia Beliard        Houston, TX                 37-40–77 +5 
T29 Kim Eaton (a)           Greeley, CO                 38-39–77 +5 
T29 Kate Scarpetta          Crystal Lake, PA            38-39–77 +5 
T29 Isabel Southard (a)     Sharon, MA                  39-38–77 +5 
T29 Michele Low             Ipoh, Malaysia              40-37–77 +5 
T34 Rachael Watton (a)      Edinburgh, Scotland         39-39–78 +6 
T34 Taylor Dorans (a)       Erie, CO                    39-39–78 +6 
T34 Mackenzie Barrie (a)    Vernon, BC Canada           39-39–78 +6 
T34 Elyse Smidinger (a)     Crofton, MD                 44-34–78 +6 
T34 Gillian Vance (a)       Lakewood, CO                38-40–78 +6 
T39 Katelyn Wright          Incline Village, NV         40-39–79 +7 
T39 Samantha Stancato (a)   Colorado Springs, CO        40-39–79 +7 
T41 Alana Johnson           Goodyear, AZ                37-43–80 +8 
T41 Sarah Hankins (a)       Thornton, CO                40-40–80 +8 
T41 Paige Crawford (a)      Colorado Springs, CO        41-39–80 +8 
T41 Chelsea Kinard          Roscoe, IL                  40-40–80 +8 
45  Erica Schlomer          Windsor, CO                 39-42–81 +9 
46  Terra Shehee            Mead, CO                    39-43–82 +10
T47 Sydney Gillespie (a)    Highlands Ranch, CO         40-43–83 +11
T47 Emily Woodard (a)       Cheyenne, WY                38-45–83 +11
T47 Shelley McGill O'Keefe  Lodi, CA                    42-41–83 +11
T47 Gabrielle Gibson (a)    Temecula, CA                44-39–83 +11
T47 Klara Castillo (a)      Albuquerque, NM             42-41–83 +11
T47 Jacey Chun              Seoul, South Korea          45-38–83 +11
T47 Hannah Hellyer          Stirling, ON Canada         38-45–83 +11
T54 Adara Pauluhn (a)       Niwot, CO                   39-45–84 +12
T54 Kimberly Silber         San Diego, CA               41-43–84 +12
T56 Casey Brittain          Denver, CO                  41-44–85 +13
T56 Morgan Sahm (a)         Centennial, CO              42-43–85 +13
T58 Mo Gronning (a)         Olongapo City, Phillipines  44-42–86 +14
T58 Denise Johns            Commerce City, CO           42-44–86 +14
T58 Laura Gritz             Denver, CO                  44-42–86 +14
61  Ann Marie Costello      San Diego, CA               40-47–87 +15
62  Callie Hodgkinson (a)   Longmont, CO                44-45–89 +17
63  Amanda Hinchey (a)      Casper, WY                  47-43–90 +18
64  Jessica Dzoan (a)       Tracy, CA                   44-47–91 +19

PRO AM RESULTS
1   Scott Wylie (a) Denver, CO Tara Morris Dodge City, KS                    28-32–60 -12
T2  Jay Small (a) Aurora, CO Samantha Richdale Kelowna, BC Canada            30-32–62 -10
T2  Pat Hamill (a) Denver, CO Katie Kempter Albuquerque, NM                  31-31–62 -10
4   Eric Kenealy (a) Broomfield, CO Catherine O'Donnell Ponte Vedra, FL      32-31–63 -9 
T5  Molly Greenblatt-Welch (a) Denver, CO Olivia Jordan-Higgins Jersey, UK   32-32–64 -8 
T5  Ross Corradino (a) Aurora, CO Jackie Smith Magnolia, TX                  32-32–64 -8 
T5  Tom Lane (a) Greenwood Village, CO Becca Huffer Denver, CO               33-31–64 -8 
T8  Chris Welch (a) Denver, CO Caroline Powers Bowling Green, OH             34-31–65 -7 
T8  Tim D'Angelo (a) Cherry Hills, CO Kendall Dye Phoenix, AZ                33-32–65 -7 
T8  Beverly Hoffenberg (a) Denver, CO Ashley Tait Littleton, CO              33-32–65 -7 
T11 Douglas Rooney (a) Boulder, CO Mary Narzisi Omaha, NE                    33-33–66 -6 
T11 Tom Keltner (a) Silverthorne, CO Kim Welch Sacramento, CA                35-31–66 -6 
T11 Bob Vasil (a) Carmel, IN Garrett Phillips St. Simons Island, GA          33-33–66 -6 
T14 Brian Curd (a) Cherry Hills, CO Alana Johnson Goodyear, AZ               30-37–67 -5 
T14 Kevin Hughes (a) Denver, CO Inhong Lim Seoul, South Korea                33-34–67 -5 
T14 Allen Walters (a) Denver, CO Emily Talley Napa, CA                       35-32–67 -5 
T17 Russ Ortiz (a) Mesa, AZ Jessi White Bellingham, WA                       33-35–68 -4 
T17 Mike Vasil (a) Carmel, IN Chelsea Kinard Roscoe, IL                      32-36–68 -4 
T17 Heather Beard (a) Parker, CO Hannah Hellyer Stirling, ON Canada          33-35–68 -4 
T20 Alex Ringsby (a) Cherry Hills, CO Carlie Yadloczky Casselberry, FL       34-35–69 -3 
T20 Thomas Sweeney (a) Boulder, CO Angela King Westminster, CO               33-36–69 -3 
T20 Brian Kenney (a) Westminster, CO Katelyn Wright Incline Village, NV      34-35–69 -3 
T20 Charlie Paraiso (a) Parker, CO Karlin Beck Montgomery, AL                32-37–69 -3 
T24 Anna Kennedy (a) Parker, CO Jasi Acharya Columbus, MT                    36-34–70 -2 
T24 Margie Kerr (a) Phoenix, AZ Erin Houtsma Denver, CO                      34-36–70 -2 
T26 Tim Thomsen (a) Council Bluffs, IA Shelley McGill O'Keefe Lodi, CA       36-36–72 E  
T26 Sai Yamagata (a) Denver, CO Ann Marie Costello San Diego, CA             36-36–72 E  
T26 Joey Burross (a) Denver, CO Kate Scarpetta Crystal Lake, PA              36-36–72 E  
29  Forrest Fridlund (a) Aurora, CO Kimberly Silber San Diego, CA            36-39–75 +3 
30  MaryPat Woodard (a) Englewood, CO Casey Brittain Denver, CO              36-40–76 +4

GET COLORADO GOLF NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX