Kupcho Ties for 21st in U.S. Women’s Open

One year after missing the cut as a 19-year-old in her first U.S. Women’s Open, Westminster’s Jennifer Kupcho not only made it to the weekend at this year’s championship. She also finished ahead of last year’s winner, Brittany Lang, as well as major winners Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko, Suzann Pettersen and Karrie Webb.

The Wake Forest University junior-to-be tied for 21st and as the top American amateur in the field at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. She carded an even par 288 (74-72-71-71), one shot behind Cristie Kerr and nine shots behind  Hye-Jin Choi of South Korea, who repeated as low amateur for the second consecutive year.

Firing 67s on both Friday and Saturday, the 17-year-old Choi almost became the second amateur ever to win the the most prestigious event in women’s golf (Catherine Lacoste accomplished the feat in 1967). Choi ended up two shots behind the overall champion, her compatriot Sun Hyun Park.

Kupcho’s sole hiccup came on the 35th hole, the par-5 eighth, when she made a quadruple-bogey 9 in the rain. En route to shooting par for that round, she also had six birdies and a double-bogey.

A three-time Colorado Women’s Golf Association Player of the Year, Kupcho will  represent the USGA July 25-28 at the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship,  at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ontario. August 7-13 will find her competing at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur, held  at the San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif.

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