Still in the Hunt

Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster didn’t make it with a lot to spare, but she successfully cleared the first hurdle at the U.S. Women’s Amateur by advancing to match play Tuesday at San Diego Country Club.

The recent Canadian Women’s Amateur champion shot a 2-over-par 74 on Tuesday to conclude the stroke-play portion of the event with a 5-over-par 149 total. That left the three-time CWGA Player of the Year and Wake Forest junior in 46th place.

The top 64 players make match play — which starts on Wednesday — and the competitors one stroke higher than Kupcho (150) had to go to a playoff for the final match play positions.

Kupcho (pictured), who finished 21st in last month’s U.S. Women’s Open and second individually in the Women’s NCAA Championship in May, started her round with a double bogey on Tuesday, and made one birdie, one bogey and 15 pars the rest of the way.

No other player with strong Colorado connections finished in the top 100 in stroke play. Colorado State University golfer Katrina Prendergast was the next best out of the local contingent with a 154 total (75-79), good for 102nd place.

Shannon Aubert of France was the medalist at 9-under-par 135 after rounds of 69-66.

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

U.S. Women’s Amateur
At Par-72 San Diego CC
ADVANCES TO MATCH PLAY

46. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 75-74–149
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
102. CSU golfer Katrina Prendergast 75-79–154
123. CU golfer Brittany Fan 78-79–157
130. Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang 79-79–158
140. Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch 82-77–159
142. CSU golfer Ellen Secor 79-81–160

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