Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster didn’t get the ultimate fairytale ending to her freshman season of college golf — a national title — but it was a stellar showing nonetheless.
The first-year player from Wake Forest finished tied for sixth place individually Monday at the Women’s NCAA Division I Finals in Eugene, Ore.
Kupcho (left), who qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open a week ago in Colorado, entered Monday’s final round in second place, but six out of the lead. A 2-over-par 74 in round 4 didn’t allow her to make a run at the title, but she was in the top four until finishing with back-to-back bogeys.
Kupcho’s 5-under-par 283 total at Eugene Country Club was 11 behind individual national champion Virginia Elena Carta, a freshman from Duke.
Kupcho, the two-time CWGA Player of the Year, finished her freshman season on a strong note, with four consecutive top-six finishes, including a runner-up in the ACC Championships.
The two-time Colorado state high school champion currently sits No. 43 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.
For all the scores from the Women’s DI Finals, CLICK HERE.
(Updated May 24) On Tuesday, both Kupcho and University of Colorado junior Esther Lee were honored by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association. Lee was named a Second-Team All-American and Kupcho an Honorable Mention All-American.
Lee, who earned the second-team honor for the second straight year, is ranked 19th among the nation’s women’s college golfers according to Golfstat, and 22nd by Golfweek. She posted 11 top-20 finishes in 11 tournaments as a junior.
