Since making her professional debut at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, Jennifer Kupcho has vaulted her way into the top 20 in the Rolex World Golf Rankings. The 23-year-old from Littleton, Colorado is also in the mix to be one four women to represent the United States at the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.
Kupcho started playing golf at the age of five and became a top junior amateur player, winning the 2014 Colorado Junior Stroke Play Championship. She also tied for eighth at the USGA Girls Junior Amateur Championship and the Girls’ Junior Americas Cup. In addition, Kupcho reached the round of 15 at the U.S. Amateur, and won the 2015 CWGA Stroke Play Championship. A two-time Colorado Women’s Golf Association Junior Player of Year, Kupcho was the first player in state history to be Junior Player of the Year and CWGA Player of the Year in the same season.
As a freshman at Wake Forest University, Kupcho set a school freshman record with a 73.2 scoring average in 11 tournaments, third-best in school history. She was an All-ACC selection and Honorable Mention All-American with four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Kupcho’s best finish was second-place at the ACC Championship and the Bryan National Collegiate. The highlight of the year for Kupcho may have been winning the Colorado sectional qualifier to play in the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open.
Kupcho elevated her game to the next level at a sophomore, seeing an individual scoring record with a scoring average of 70.6. Her honors included First-Team WGCA All-American, First-Team Golfweek All-American, and All-ACC. In ten tournaments, Kupcho placed in the top-five an astonishing eight times. She won the NCAA Athens Regional, Landfall Tradition, and the Tar Heel Invitational with a second-place finish at the NCAA Championship. For the second consecutive year, Kupcho won the Colorado sectional qualifier to play in the U.S. Open. She made the most of the appearance, finishing as second lowest amateur and tie for 21st.
As a junior, Kupcho became the First National Player of the Year in school history capped off with a wire-to-wire NCAA Championship. Her other three wins came at the Ocean Course Invitational, Bryan National Collegiate, and NCAA Tallahassee Regional in which she tied her own school 54-hole scoring record. In the same event, Kupcho shot a blistering 64, which set the school single-round record. Kupcho was a key component of the winning U.S. Curtis Cup and Palmer Cup teams and became top ranked amateur in the world in July, 2018.
Although her scoring average increased to 71.4 as a senior, it was still third-best in school history. She won twice and named First-Team WGCA All-American, and ACC Co-Player of the Year. Kupcho made the most of her first and lone appearance at Augusta National, winning the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She dominated at the collegiate level over her four years, setting a record with 35 rounds in the 60s. Her nine wins were second most in Wake Forest History. During the fall of 2018, Kupcho earned her LPGA Tour Card but waited until after her senior season to turn professional.
Kupcho made three starts on the LPGA Tour as an amateur, finishing in the top 25 in both the U.S. Women’s Open and the 2018 Marathon Classic. Although she missed eight cuts in 19 events, Kupcho enjoyed an overall solid rookie season, finishing 39th on the money list with over $525,000. Her best of three top-10 finishes was a tie for second at The Evian Championship, two shots behind winner Jin Young Ko.
Kupcho started the 2020 season with a 77 in the first round at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. She rebounded with three good rounds to finish tied for 19th. During the long break due to COVID-19, Kupcho won the Cobank Colorado Women’s Open with a 16-under par total in the 54-hole event. Her dominating performance earned Kupcho an invite to the men’s Cobalt Colorado Open in July, playing with her brother, Steven.
When the LPGA Tour resumed, Kupcho struggled, missing four cuts in her first five events, posting a composite score of plus-46. A tie for 22nd at the ANA Inspiration got Kupcho back on track and three weeks later at her next event, Kupcho fired two rounds of 65 in her 2nd place finish at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She followed that with a tie for 7th at the Women’s PGA Championship. She finished the season making the cut at the final five events, finishing tied for 28th at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Kupcho has earned over $900,000 in her young career and is now the 5th ranked American behind Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson, and Jessica Korda. She should easily surpass the $1 million plateau in career earnings with a shot at the Olympic Games not out of the question.
