BROOMFIELD — It begins early for most exceptional high school athletes. The attention, the compliments. Jennifer Kupcho was no exception.
When she was 5 years old, Kupcho attended Gold Crown’s Lil’ Linksters at Eagle Trace Golf Club. Camp instructor Brad Neher, an assistant coach at the University of Colorado, told Mike Kupcho that his daughter “had the sweetest swing I’d ever seen.”
Mike’s reaction?
“Yeah, right,” he said.
Soon thereafter, when the family was practicing at the Broadlands GC, an assistant professional, Josh Koschke, now the head coach at CSU-Pueblo, said of the younger Kupcho: “That’s a D-I swing if I’ve ever seen one.”
Again, Mike Kupcho said: “Yeah, right.”
Nearly 13 years, multiple USGA appearances, a Class 4A state title, the state’s female stroke-play and match-play championships and nearly a Colorado Women’s Open title later, Jennifer Kupcho is fulfilling her considerable promise.
Yes, they were right. Jennifer Kupcho is special.
Beth Folsom, who has coached at Colorado Academy since 1999 and serves as an LPGA pro at Foothills GC, said Kupcho “is the best high school player of any girl I’ve seen play golf in Colorado.”
Kupcho, a 17-year old senior at Jefferson Academy, appreciates the praise but shrugs it off. There’s a lot in front of her.
“I like competing, and I like traveling around to different places and tournaments and meeting new people,” she said.
Kupcho simply loves the game. How much so? Her favorite club to hold and hit is a driver. Seriously, a driver. All of 5-foot-8 and 135 pounds, she pounds it an average of 280 yards.
“I just hit it really good and straight; it’s just my most comfortable club,” Kupcho said.
Her businesslike approach is simple. Kupcho said her life basically revolves around school and golf. For a time she played on the Jaguars’ basketball team, but now her focus is the final weeks of schoolgirl play and adding to her considerable résumé.
Last year she finished in the top 10 in both the USGA Junior Girls and Junior America’s Cup, and was 29th at the Callaway Junior World Championship, the highest finish by a Colorado-based female.
And last summer she was runner-up at the Colorado Women’s Open, during which she shot a 66, her best-ever score.
“It was a lot of fun to play with all the professionals and see how you match up with them and their ability level,” Kupcho said. “I knew I could do it.”
She will have the opportunity to add to her list of major tournament showings again this summer, including an attempt to make the field for the 70th U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club in July. Kupcho will participate in qualifying at Riverdale Dunes GC in Brighton.
She is focusing on her short game, particularly on wedges from 40 to 80 yards. She embraces the solitary part of golf.
“I like being able to just go out and be focused and not relying on everyone else surrounding you,” Kupcho said. “In basketball, one person messes up and you’re running to the other side of the court.”
However, it’s not to suggest it’s all about her. Getting the Jags to their first-ever state tournament, in May at River Valley Ranch GC in Carbondale, also is a priority.
“It’s what we talked about even before the first tournament,” said Jefferson Academy senior Mariah Ehrman, who is headed to Colorado Mesa.
Ninth at state a year ago, Ehrman gives the Jags one of the state’s best 1-2 punches and willingly follows Kupcho, who, she said, is very focused.
“She just goes out there and knows what she has to do, and she does it,” Ehrman said of her teammate. “She’s very professional when it comes to golf.”
Colleges have taken notice. In addition to her exploits in golf, she has a 3.8 grade-point average. Recruiters from all over the nation came calling, including coaches from Oregon, Arizona, LSU, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Michigan, North Carolina, Colorado State, Denver and Stanford. Ultimately, she chose Wake Forest. Someone named Arnold Palmer played there.
“It’s really cool to go play where he played,” Kupcho said.
On the Junior Golf Scoreboard, Kupcho is ranked 36th in the Class of 2015 and 87th overall, including Canada and Mexico. Her ultimate goal: play on the LPGA Tour.
“I want to try that,” she said. “I’m going after a business degree and can fall back on that, but I definitely want to give it a shot.”
