Jennifer Kupcho of Littleton, Colorado is in the driver’s seat to win her first major of her LPGA career. At the moment, no one is even remotely close.
Kupcho’s lead on the rest of the pack at the 2022 Chevron Championship from Rancho Mirage, California is six strokes. After 54 holes, Kupcho is at -16.
On Saturday, Kupcho completely sizzled in the third round on Saturday. On what is generally considered “Moving Day,” Kupcho had nine birdies and one bogey for an eight-under-par 64. Of the 18 holes on the golf course, Kupcho was one-under-par on half of the total number of holes. Kupcho’s third round birdies came on the second, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 17th holes. Kupcho’s Saturday bogey was on the unlucky 13th hole.
In the first round on Thursday, Kupcho shot a round of six-under-par, as she once again had nine birdies. She birdied the first, second, fourth, fifth, ninth, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th holes. Her bogeys were on the eighth, 15th and 16th holes. Then in the second round, Kupcho had birdies on the seventh and ninth holes.
Kupcho’s nearest competitor at the moment is Patty Tavatanakit, the 2021 LPGA winner at Rancho Mirage. The native of Bangkok, Thailand won a year ago in southern California when the first major tournament of the calendar year was known as the ANA Inspiration. After 54 holes, Tavatanakit is the only other golfer (besides Kupcho) to be double-digits under-par as she is -10. Kupcho meanwhile is looking to become the first American champion at Rancho Mirage since Brittany Lincicome in 2015.
