Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster shot an 8-under-par 65 and vaulted into third place individually, while she and her fellow Americans jumped into the team lead on Thursday at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Dublin, Ireland.
Kupcho, the reigning Women’s NCAA Division I individual champion from Wake Forest, had her second straight bogey-free day on Thursday, making eight birdies. In an eight-hole stretch starting at No. 3, she made six birdies. That puts the No. 1-ranked women’s amateur in the world at 10-under 135 at the halfway point of the event.
In the 170-player individual competition, Kupcho trails only co-leaders Yuka Yasuda of Japan and Ayean Cho of South Korea, who sit at 132, three ahead of the Coloradan. Cho fired a 64 on Thursday and Yasuda a 67.
“I was hitting the ball really well and I actually made a quite a few putts but I left a few out there too,” Kupcho told the USGA. “So I need to work on my putting a little bit.”
In the team competition, the U.S. moved into a position befitting a team with the top three-ranked women’s amateurs in the world. With the top two scores each day from the three-person squad counting toward the team total, the Americans posted a stellar 16-under 130 total on Thursday, with two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Kristen Gillman matching Kupcho’s 65. Lilia Vu carded a 69.
(Team USA is pictured in a USGA photo, from left: Gillman, captain Stasia Collins, Kupcho and Vu.)
After two days, the U.S. stands at 18-under 272, a 36-hole record for this event and one stroke better than defending champion South Korea and three ahead of Japan. In all, 57 teams are competing in the tournament.
All three of the Americans are in the top 10 individually. With Kupcho in third, Gillman is in sixth place at 139, while Vu shares seventh at 141.
The U.S. finished sixth at the last biennial Women’s WATC, in 2016 as South Korea won.
Meanwhile, University of Colorado golfer Kirsty Hodgkins sits in 66th place individually as a 74 left her at 149 for two days. Her Australian team shares 12th place at 289.
Play in the event will continue through Saturday.
Here are the scores for the U.S. team, including Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, in addition to those of CU golfer Kirsty Hodgkins, who’s competing for her native Australia:
1. (out of 57 teams) USA 142-130–272
3. (out of 170 individuals) Jennifer Kupcho 70-65–135
6. Kristen Gillman 74-65–139
7. Lilia Vu 72-69–141
Also
T62. CU golfer Kirsty Hodgkins, Australia 75-74–149
For all the results from the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, CLICK HERE.
