Inching Up

Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster moved up six spots on the scoreboard and stands in 13th place a quarter of the way through the LPGA Q-Series at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

The reigning NCAA champion from Wake Forest, who’s ranked No. 1 in the world in women’s amateur golf, shot an even-par 72 on Thursday at Pinehurst No. 6 and checks in at 1-over-par 145 overall. She trails leader Klara Spilkova by nine strokes. (Kupcho is pictured on Thursday in a photo courtesy of the Kupcho family.)

Six rounds remain in the Q-Series, which serves as the final stage of LPGA Q-school. The Q-Series features two 72-hole stroke-play tournaments held on consecutive weeks — Wednesday through Saturday and Oct. 31-Nov. 3, both at Pinehurst Resort. Scores are cumulative over the two weeks, with the top 45 finishers and ties earning LPGA cards. A $150,000 purse is at stake for the pros.

Amateurs — such as Kupcho — who go on to earn their LPGA Tour cards can defer their acceptance of membership until July 1, 2019. That means they could complete their college seasons before joining the LPGA Tour should they qualify.

The other golfers with strong Colorado ties in the 102-player field have some work to do to get in the top 45. Former University of Colorado golfer Jenny Coleman, who had conditional status on the LPGA Tour in 2017, is in 53rd place, Becca Huffer of Denver in 78th and CU golfer Robyn Choi in 98th.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado connections:

13. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 73-72–145
53. Former CU golfer Jenny Coleman 75-75–150
78. Becca Huffer of Denver 77-76–153
98. CU golfer Robyn Choi 79-79–158

For complete results, CLICK HERE.