Jennifer Kupcho didn’t win The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican but still leaves Pelican Golf Club with the biggest payday.
The major champion finished second to Linn Grant in the tournament but won the Aon Risk Reward Challenge and the $1 million prize that comes with it. That’s in addition to the $303,994 she made for finishing second. (Grant won $487,500 for her second career title.)
“I think I was stressing about it really all like the last three weeks,” said Kupcho, who only had to worry about A Lim Kim’s play on Sunday.
“Really stressed about it obviously this week. But to be able to make an eagle, that was insane on Friday and pretty cool. I mean, obviously it wasn’t just that one round, one hole, it was the whole year. Yeah, to be able to say I’m a winner of Aon Risk Reward is pretty cool. I’ve been pretty close the last couple years. To finally get it done is awesome.”
Kupcho made one of the most well-known eagles in women’s golf history when she eagled the par-5 13th at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur en route to victory in 2019.
For her eagle on Friday at the 522-yard 14th at Pelican, Kupcho hit driver, 3-wood to the front edge of the green and drained a 60-foot putt.
“Really on all par 5s, I am kind of in the nature of just send it and see what happens,” said Kupcho. “I certainly was that way all week with that hole (No. 14), but I think it’s just trying to get up there as close as possible. It’s a really hard hole. Really hard hole to eagle, honestly. So to be able to have thrown one in is pretty sweet.”
