THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

March 31, 2022

Jennifer Kupcho

Mission Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Jennifer Kupcho. Bit of an up and down day en route to that 66. Still a very solid start to the first major of the year. What was the mindset to start the day?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Honestly, just go out and play my best. I kind of the last couple days have not been hitting my driver super well, so honestly that's a big thing in a major, is to hit the fairway.

So really just focusing on that.

Q. Coming off a rare missed cut last week, how are you able to regroup and play so well today?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Honestly I just don't like that course last week. It doesn't set up for my eye, so I really didn't think much of it.

I just used the two days that I did have on the weekend to come here and practice.

Q. You've been in this position before in major championships, getting off to a solid start. What will be the challenge to keep this going the next three days?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, it's a lot of golf. Just keep taking the same mindset. I love this place, love being here. So just going to keep playing.

Q. Those back-to-back birdies at 15 being 16, how would you assess your performance out there today?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I played really well. I really like the layout of this golf course, the beautiful shape that it's in every year. It always is so fun to be here, so just taking advantage of how much I like the course and the atmosphere.

Q. What was working so well for you out there? It's an absolutely glorious day. What was feeling good?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I made a lot of putts, but also hit them within really close proximity to the hole, so really just that set up all my birdie opportunities.

Q. And the momentum was incredible, those nine birdies. How do you keep that momentum going in a major championship, four big rounds?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I think it's just going out and hitting one shot at a time and hitting each shot. I haven't been hitting my driver super well the last couple weeks, so just come out here and try to hit the fairways, I mean, they're pretty narrow and the rough is really long.

It's definitely a big advantage to be in the fairway and from there just carry on.

Q. That win for you, the inaugural Women's Amateur at Augusta, must be something to do with this time of year. Does it bring out best golf in you?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I don't know. I don't really think about that too much, so I don't know.

Q. What's next now? Where do you go after that? What do you do? How do you process that first round?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Just go out there and keep playing. I mean, figure out what didn't go well today. Had a three-putt and not a good bunker shot, so going to just go practice and see if I can keep it going tomorrow.

Q. 6-under 66; lots of birdies; handful of bogeys out there. Overall, how satisfied are you to be tied at the top of the leaderboard this early?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, it's always nice to be in contention out here, but, I mean, there is a lot of golf. You never know what can happen. There is a lot of water out there, too.

So I'm just going to go out there and keep playing my game over the next three days.

Q. Started off really hot with four birdies in the first five holes. Were you particularly feeling it this morning or what was that early run cued to?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Honestly, I think it's just being comfortable on this golf course. I get here and I just, I feel comfortable. I love this place.

Then getting to play with Lizette, who is my good friend, so it was just all comfortable and really fun.

Q. I saw you guys walking in arm in arm. She was at your wedding, right?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Oh, yes, she was.

Q. Good. Then you had three more birdies in a row on the back nine; handful bogeys. What's the takeaway from the first day?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I played really well. I said before that I haven't been hitting my driver particularly well recently and that's usually my strongest suit, so to come out, and you really need to hit fairways on a major golf course, so that was like my biggest thing today, is hit a bunch of fairways.

That really set me up for all my birdies.

Q. Were you working on your driver at all coming into the week? Was that a focus for you?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Honestly, not really. Just trying not to think about it, and then yesterday in the pro-am it just -- it was pretty bad, so I went to the range after, and that's when I really grinded on it and turned out good.

Q. Jennifer, you said at the start of the year that you felt your putter was off last season. What's changed for you to putt so well today?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I been working on my putting a lot. I mean, as everyone in the world says.

My putting is not my strong suit. I really just worked with actually my husband. He's a great putter and he knows my game really well.

So I worked on a lot with him over the off-season, and so really just worked on my stroke. My stroke has been really good recently.

Q. What would you do when you were working on it?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Really just like I would take it back and then I would kind of like cut across it exiting my putter left. I just need to start my putter straight back and basically straight through, and that was the biggest thing.

And that really helps when you have pure greens.

Q. What about this course suits you?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I don't know. I think just being comfortable. It's so similar to Colorado golf, so similar to Arizona golf, which is where I live now, so really just to see the same kind of grass and everything like that, it's just a comfort for me.

Q. Are there any additional positive vibes seeing the Augusta National Women's Amateur coverage going on?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I don't know if it's necessarily positive vibes, but it was -- it's always a good memory. To be able to look back and watch the girls play now, we have four Wake Forest girls in the field, so to watch them compete, it's exciting.

Q. Having been on some of golf's biggest stages now, Solheim Cup, here we are at another major. Do you feel comfortable heading into a big tournament like this, or do you still have nerves?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: I mean, everyone gets nervous. But, I mean, I think it's more of just getting used to it and figuring out how to deal with it, learning different tactics.

That's what I've definitely done through the big events I played in.

Q. Congratulations on your recent wedding.

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Thank you.

Q. Has married life had any affect on your golf life so far?

JENNIFER KUPCHO: Not really. It's all the same.