To Start With

Last month, Jennifer Kupcho won the Canadian Women’s Amateur. This week, she’d like nothing better than the same result on this side of the border.

The Wake Forest junior-to-be, a three-time CWGA Player of the Year, had a good start but a rough stretch later in the first round of the 36-hole stroke-play portion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur at San Diego Country Club. She shot a 3-over-par 75 on Monday and trails co-leaders Haley Moore of Escondido, Calif., and Kristen Gillman of Austin, Texas by eight.

Kupcho (pictured), individual runner-up in the Women’s NCAA Championship and a 21st-place finisher in the U.S. Women’s Open, birdied two of her first three holes, but couldn’t add any more. She played her final dozen holes in 5 over par, making a double bogey on the par-4 15th. That left the 20-year-old in 61st place after round 1.

The top 64 players after Tuesday’s second round will advance to match play, which begins on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Colorado State University golfer Katrina Prendergast also posted a 75 after double bogeying her first hole on Monday. She finished the day with four birdies, five bogeys and the double.

The other players with strong Colorado ties will have some ground to make up in Tuesday’s second round in order to make match play. University of Colorado golfer Brittany Fan shot a 78, CSU golfer Ellen Secor a 79 and Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch an 82.

Here are the scores for all the competitors with major Colorado connections:

U.S. Women’s Amateur
At Par-72 San Diego CC

61. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 75
61. CSU golfer Katrina Prendergast 75
111. CU golfer Brittany Fan 78
120. Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang 79
120. CSU golfer Ellen Secor 79
139. Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch 82

For all the scores from the U.S. Women’s Amateur, CLICK HERE.