Two share lead during first round of Augusta National Women's Amateur

Jennifer Kupcho and Zoe Campos share the lead after the first day of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur with 4-under-par 68s. The superb golf they played at Champions Retreat Golf Club is about the only thing they have in common.

Kupcho is a 21-year-old senior at Wake Forest who is the defending NCAA champion, the No. 1-ranked women’s amateur and has already earned her 2019 LPGA Tour card, which she will punch when she turns pro in May.

Campos, at age 16, is one of the youngest players in the field and a sophomore in high school. She is ranked 103rd in the world, is a 2021 UCLA recruit and was one of the final six invitees, as picked by the tournament committee Jan. 28. Two others were added after injury withdrawals last week.

Auburn sophomore Kaleigh Telfer had 69 and four players shot 70, including No. 9-ranked Maria Fassi.

Because the pairings for the first two rounds at Champions Retreat are pre-set, Campos and Kupcho won’t be playing together Thursday. Campos tees off at 10:48 and Kupcho at 11:12, both at No. 10.

It wouldn’t have made any difference to Campos if they had been paired.

“At this point, playing with older people, that’s what I’ve always dealt with,” she said. “I have no nerves towards playing with college players, or even pros. I just play my own game. See how it goes.”

Kupcho had what she called “probably the first perfect round I’ve played” after hitting all 18 greens in regulation with no bogeys for the first time in competition.

Campos had more birdies than Kupcho (six to four), but the teenager had bogeys on Nos. 8 and 16.

Kupcho, who didn’t make her first birdie until No. 8, was surprised how short Champions Retreat played in the first round.

“I actually thought it was going to play a lot longer than it did. I think yesterday I had like a 6-iron into No. 1 and then right off that, I had pitching wedge, and I was like, OK, this is a completely different golf course. So definitely yesterday, I thought it was going to play a lot harder.”

In addition to her four birdies, Kupcho avoided 3-putts. That made her father, Mike, who is her caddie at Champions Retreat, happy.

“What is it now? We’re up to 83 holes without a 3-putt,” Mike Kupcho said. “I keep track of them by hole. She thinks I’m stupid. Three-putts are like missed free throws and it drives me nuts. We’ve had a lot of conversations about that. Some that aren’t so happy. This (streak) is remarkable.”

“I wouldn’t say I necessarily count them, but I do know this is my fourth round without a three-putt,” Jennifer said. “I mean, I’ve always struggled with 3-putting, definitely that was one of the big things when I was a freshman and sophomore. I was looking at (former Duke star) Leona Maguire, and every time she would have less than one 3-putt, she won a tournament. That’s what I need to improve and that’s what I’ve been working on a lot.”

Mike Kupcho said his daughter’s improved lag putting has helped her on the greens.

“You want to have little kick-ins instead of 6-footers, where you as a caddie are very nervous,” Mike Kupcho said.

At age 16 years and 46 days, Campos is the third-youngest player in the field, behind 14-year-old Alexa Pano (77 on Wednesday) and 15-year-old Rose Zang (72).

Unlike Kupcho, Campos is surprised to be a co-leader.

“I don’t really expect myself to be up top,” she said. “I really just focused on making the cut. It’s not my, like, absolute goal to win this tournament. I just really want to get a good experience out of it.”

She might not have to watch the cut line Thursday, but many players will. Only the top 30 of the 72 starters after the second round will qualify to play in the third and final round Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Currently, three players are tied for 30th place at 74. In the likely event of a tie for the final spot, there will be a sudden-death playoff, starting on No. 10.