The LPGA young gun got a career jump when she won the 2019 Augusta National Womenâs Am. The tourney returns this month â sans a lucky pro.
GOLF: Whatâs the one part of the final round of the 2019 ANWA that sticks out most to you in your mind?
Jennifer Kupcho: Probably walking up to the first tee. I donât usually get jitters on the first tee, but I was definitely nervous because there were so many people there.
G: Was it difficult to pull the trigger on that first drive?
JK: Yeah, a little bit. I was up there with Maria [Fassi], and because weâre friends that calmed me down a little bit.
This is ANWA champ Jennifer Kupcho’s go-to on-course snack (and why)
G: Other than the elevation changes at Augusta, whatâs the one thing that someone whoâs never been there doesnât quite appreciate about the course?
JK: Just how perfect it is everywhere. There are no leaves, like, anywhere. The grass is perfect. There are no flaws on the entire golf course. Itâs kinda crazy.
G: In terms of visibility and your ability to secure sponsorships, how would you value the win?
JK: It helped me a lot, because it really got my name out there. The win allowed me to be comfortable financially, with the help of sponsors, when I started my pro career.
G: Who was the most surprising person to reach out to you after you won?
JK: I had a couple. One was Fred Couples, who my parents have always been huge fans of, so it was really special. I was like, âOh my gosh. He just texted me. This is so cool!â Ian Poulter also reached out. For two Tour pros to reach out to someone who was not even on the LPGA Tour yet, I was just, Wow. This is a crazy big deal. I had no idea PGA golfers were watching this.
