Kupchos Star in Sister-Brother Act

In the same week, siblings Jennifer and Steven Kupcho of Wesminster have both reached the cusp of national prominence: one as a top golfer, the other as a Topgolfer.

But it will be Jennifer’s older brother Steven who’ll be going for a national title this weekend when he and partner Braden Baer represent Denver in the Topgolf Tour Championship to be held this Saturday and Sunday (November 12 & 13) at Topgolf Las Vegas.

The Westminster friends, both of whom turned professional this summer after stellar college careers (Kupcho at the University of Northern Colorado, Baer at Loyola Marymount University), won the August 7 qualifier at the Topgolf in Centennial.

For the two fledgling pro golfers, the $50,000 prize provided more than enough incentive to enter the inaugural tournament.

Kupcho, who’d previously only visited Topgolf once or twice, noticed that the dates of the Las Vegas event came right after the Nevada Open in Mesquite. “I figured if we won in Centennial, it would pay for my travel to Nevada,” says the accounting major. “It seemed like a good investment.”

It was. Unlike some members of the other 68 teams, they laid off the beer and munchies. “Braden and I weren’t drinking, so our opponents in the final—who had also gone to UNC—were teasing us,” Kupcho says with a laugh. “But there wasn’t a lot of pressure. We were having a blast. I think Topgolf is one of the greatest things to take place in golf during my lifetime.”

In the final, it took them 15 shots to win the alternate-shot competition and punch their ticket to Vegas. “Braden said on camera that we were there ‘to make golf great again,’ so we’ll have to see what he does with that in Vegas.”

Kupcho, especially, relishes the competition. The 2011 Colorado Golf Association Junior Player of the Year, he also won the CGA’s 2012 Les Fowler Player of the Year on the strength of his victory in that year’s match play championship.

With players from any kind of tour ineligible, Kupcho knows there’ll be plenty of guys like he and Baer among the 16 teams (one representing each Topgolf location). “It’ll be kind of a dogfight; everyone’s bringing their best stuff,” he says. “With it being the first one, it’ll be pretty cool. Nobody knows what to expect.”

Nobody does, but if it’s golf and either Kupcho sibling is involved, it’s safe to expect great things.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.