There’s still plenty of work to be done, but halfway through the LPGA Q-Series, a couple of home-grown Coloradans are in position to achieve their dream of earning LPGA Tour cards.
Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster is in excellent shape as rounds of 68-67 over the weekend vaulted the No. 1 women’s amateur in the world into third place in the 102-player Q-Series field.
And with the top 45 finishers and ties after eight rounds earning spots on the LPGA Tour, Becca Huffer of Denver moved into the top 40 on Sunday with her second consecutive 2-under-par 70 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.
If the Q-Series had ended on Sunday, a total of 6-over 294 or better would have been enough to earn LPGA Tour cards. Kupcho, the NCAA Division I champion from Wake Forest, shares third place at 8-under-par 280. Huffer is tied for 36th place at 293. (Kupcho is pictured on Sunday in a photo courtesy of her family.)
And the other two competitors with strong Colorado ties are not far off the pace with four rounds remaining. Former University of Colorado golfer Jenny Coleman is tied for 51st at 296, while current CU golfer Robyn Choi is 87th at 301.
After two off-days, the second half of the Q-Series will run Wednesday through Saturday (Oct. 31-Nov. 3) also at the Pinehurst Resort, but on the No. 7 course. Scores are cumulative for the eight rounds of the event.
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.
No one scored better over the weekend than did Kupcho, who along with U.S. Curtis Cup teammate Lauren Stephenson went 68-67 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. On Sunday, Kupcho went bogey-free, making five birdies on the day. The 21-year-old trails Q-Series leader Klara Spilkova by five strokes.
Meanwhile, Huffer, the 2013 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion, made four birdies and two bogeys on Sunday at Pinehurst No. 6 to leave herself in good shape going into the final four rounds.
Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado connections:
3. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster 73-72-68-67–280
36. Becca Huffer of Denver 77-76-70-70–293
51. Former CU golfer Jenny Coleman 75-75-74-72–296
87. CU golfer Robyn Choi 79-79-67-76–301
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
