Jennifer Kupcho didn’t require any assistance during the Pelican Women’s Championship’s first round on Thursday. She altered her alignment after a dull, even-par first nine and birdied five of her next six holes for a 5-under 65.
Kupcho remarked after her round, “I struggled a little bit on the front with missing a lot of shots to the right.” “I realized I was shooting out to the right early in practice Monday through Wednesday, so I just reminded myself to aim a little further left, and I was able to start hitting shots a lot closer to the pin, making those putts a lot easier.”
Leona Maguire is three strokes ahead of Kupcho. Wake Forest’s Kupcho and Duke’s Maguire clashed throughout their undergraduate careers and had a pair of head-to-heads this year.
At this year’s Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play, Kupcho and Maguire tied in a round-robin match. In the Solheim Cup singles, Maguire defeated Kupcho 5-4.
Maguire, like Kupcho, is aiming for her first LPGA victory.
But it’s not on the course that Kupcho could need some help. She announced her engagement to Jay Monahan at the Solheim Cup (not the PGA Tour commissioner). Though no official wedding date has been established, the planning and the acquisition of a home has added to the stress.
“Yeah, it’s quite a bit.” I mean, I’m simply trying to get some major furniture in the house, which I’ve pretty well accomplished, but I’m also trying to get all the decorations in there to make it feel like a home. “It’s a lot of pressure,” Kupcho admitted.
“As well as wedding planning is quite stressful, trying to figure out if everyone will be able to attend and where the event will take place.”
If you keep playing like this for three days, you’ll be able to relieve a lot of the stress. The first-place cheque of $262,500 will help.
