Jennifer Kupcho finally took her parents' advice on U.S. Open prep, and—surprise!—she's Riviera first-round leader
· Yahoo Sports
LOS ANGELES —Jennifer Kupcho had missed the cut in three straight U.S. Opens, and her parents kept suggesting that their daughter play and study the courses before the major week actually arrived. The 29-year-old Kupcho had stubbornly brushed off the idea.
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But since the U.S. Women’s Open is at Riviera Country Club this year and the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship in April wasn’t far from here, Kupcho changed her pre-major plans. She played Riviera before the JM Eagle with friends who are members here. They’re the people with whom Kupcho is staying with this week.
It looks like parents know best.
Feeling comfortable with choice of lines and simply believing the famous layout fit her eye, Kupcho shot a five-under 66 on Thursday to lead the U.S. Women’s Open by one stroke after the first round.
“I think my parents have always pushed me like, ‘Hey, why don't you go try and see the golf course beforehand?’ I'm like, ‘No, I don't do that. I never do that for any other tournament. Why would I change that for the U.S. Open,’” Kupcho recalled after her round.
“I wouldn't say I necessarily went out of my way since we were here in L.A. at El [Caballero Country Club], but it definitely made it super easy to come out and see it. Then when I showed up this week, I knew where everything was, I knew what I was doing. So I think it actually helped.
“Parents are always right, right?” she added with a smile. “I think that certainly helped, but I think I just have a great setup. I really like this golf course. It kind of fits my eye. With the great host family, it just makes the whole week easier.”
It’s challenging to win a major, and Kupcho knows that, having captured the 2022 Chevron Championship for her first LPGA victory. But she’s already put herself in great position. Sei Young Kim shot a 67 to be solo second, and five players are tied at two shots back.
With an afternoon tee time, Kupcho birdied the first three holes of the day. She hit nine of 14 fairways and hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation. Surely, the best statistic of the day was that she needed just 26 putts—tied for first.
Kupcho also got a boost late in her round at the shortest par-3 on the course, the 145-yard 16th, where she almost made a hole-in-one with what was a lucky result.
“It’s funny,” she said. “I just see an 8-iron [aimed] straight at the [TV] tower, and I hit it straight at the flag. I walked over to my caddie and he goes, ‘Straight at the tower, huh?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s next to the pin, so it’s fine.’”
This is the first time Kupcho has ever led a round at the U.S. Women’s Open, and she was all smiles after the round. It’s her ninth major championship round of 66 or lower, which is tied with three-time major winner Minjee Lee for most of any player since 2019.
Kupcho is a four-time winner on the LPGA, but the USGA tests have proved to be a challenge.
Her visit to Riviera with for the round with friends in April could’ve unlocked a major key.
“We didn't really talk that much about the golf course. It was kind of just having fun,” Kupcho said. “But I think it helps me to be able to see the lines, kind of know where to go. Thank god I hit it well that day as well. I kind of didn't have to see the bad parts of the golf course, but I think that certainly helped, just kind of being comfortable coming out and having fun before you’re on a big stage.”
Asked if she was going to text her parents and tell them they were right, Kupcho said, laughing: “The funny thing is they have never missed a U.S. Open either, and they're not here this week. So maybe they were right and maybe don't come. I don't know what the relation is. We'll see what happens.”