Sports
Golfer Jennifer Kupcho Takes Home LPGA Chevron Championship Trophy
The first LPGA tournament of her career, Kupcho is the 7th player to win her first LPGA Tour title in the Mission Hills Country Club event.
RANCHO MIRAGE, CA —Jennifer Kupcho won her first LPGA Tour championship Sunday in the final chapter of the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills Country Club.
Kupcho won the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills by two strokes over Jessica Korda in what is the last time the LPGA major tournament will be played on the Southern California desert course.
Kupcho shot a 2-over 74 in the final round on Sunday. She entered the final round with a six-stroke lead and shot a personal-best round of 8-under 64 on Saturday, breaking the 54-hole record on the course with a 200.
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She finished 14-under 274 for the tournament, previously named for Dinah Shore, and won the first LPGA tournament of her career. She is the seventh player to win her first LPGA Tour title in the event at Mission Hills Country Club that started in 1972. It became a major tournament in 1983. The tournament is moving to Houston next year after failing to attract a sponsor to keep it in Rancho Mirage.
"Everything was working. I mean, seriously this week I think my putting is definitely the props," said Kupcho on Saturday after carding eight birdies in her first 12 holes. "I have putted really well, and you got to make putts in a major championship."
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After winning the tournament Kupcho made the traditional plunge into Poppie's Pond with her husband Jay Monahan and caddie David Eller.
The 24-year-old from Colorado won $750,000 and earned 60 points toward the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award standings. She is eligible to win the award at the end of the LPGA season.
In six LPGA events, Kupcho has made four cuts and earned $820,563 with one win and a top-six finish.
Korda shot a 3-under 69 in the final round. She holed out an eagle on the par-4 third hole and had birdies on the 11th and 12th holes to close Kupcho's lead to four strokes.
Kupcho had bogeys on the 13th and 14th holes, bringing Korda to two strokes off the lead. But Korda had a bogey on the 15th hole and parred her final three holes.
Kupcho won the 2018 NCAA championship while at Wake Forest and won her first tournament on the LPGA Tour in her 65th career start.
Pia Babnik of Slovenia was third, shooting a 6-under 66 in the final round and was 11-under for the tournament.
