St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA, Aug 17, 2018: Jennifer Kupcho of the United States has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading player in the women’s 2018 World Amateur Golf Ranking™ (WAGR™).
The 21-year-old will be awarded exemptions as an amateur into the 2019 US Women’s Open and Women’s British Open.
Kupcho had a fantastic year after winning the 2018 NCAA Division I individual championship as well as earning a place on the United States team for the Curtis Cup.
A rising senior at Wake Forest University, Kupcho earned five collegiate wins, including an NCAA Regional victory, while setting the school record with a 70.6 scoring average during her junior year.
Kupcho spent a total of five weeks as the leading player in the women’s WAGR™ this year and has featured regularly in the top three over the past two years.
“It’s a really big honour to get this medal,” said Jennifer Kupcho.
“Obviously it’s been a long stretch of hard work and it’s great to see it pay off and to have the pride of coming out on top. I’m looking forward to the next college season.”
Kupcho is the first Wake Forest women’s golfer to be awarded the Honda Sport Award, presented annually by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) to top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports.
She earned first-team WGCA All-American honours for the second straight year and was one of three finalists for the ANNIKA Award, annually given to the most outstanding women’s player of the year.
Earlier this summer, Jennifer Kupcho finished T16 at the LPGA’s Marathon Classic.
The R&A and the USGA jointly award the McCormack Medal each year.
Duncan Weir, Executive Director – Golf Development at The R&A, said, “Jennifer has produced a very high standard of golf over the past year and her excellent results make her a worthy winner of the McCormack Medal.
She is following in the footsteps of a number of outstanding woman golfers and we would like to congratulate Jennifer on this fantastic achievement.”
“On behalf of the USGA, our most sincere congratulations to Jennifer Kupcho for earning the esteemed McCormack Medal,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of Championships.
“Not only has Jennifer put together a remarkable individual season, highlighted by her NCAA Championship win, but she also represented the USA with respect, talent and passion during the Curtis Cup Match.
We look forward to watching her do the same as a member of our World Amateur Team.”
The men’s ranking encompasses more than 2,700 counting events, ranking 6,200 players from 106 countries.
About WAGR™
The World Amateur Golf Ranking™, which comprises a women’s ranking and a men’s ranking for elite amateur players, is offered by The R&A and the USGA as a global service to golf.
Through incorporation and assessment worldwide of both amateur and professional events, WAGR encourages the international development of the competitive game.
The ranking endeavours to be the most comprehensive and accurate ranking in golf by effectively comparing players from around the world who may never directly compete against one another.
It is available to national federations and organizers of amateur and professional events and tours as a criterion for tournament field selection and for purposes of exemptions, national team selection, and orders of merit.
About The Mark H McCormack Medal/Jennifer Kupcho
The Mark H McCormack Medal is awarded to the player ranked No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ after the US Women’s Amateur Championship or the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship, whichever concludes last.
Established in 2007, the same award goes to the player leading the men’s ranking after the European Amateur Championship or US Amateur Championship, whichever concludes last.
Previous Winners
Women: 2017, 2016, 2015 Leona Maguire (IRE), 2014 Minjee Lee (AUS), 2013, 2012, 2011 Lydia Ko (NZL).
Men: 2017 Joaquin Niemann (Chile), 2016 Maverick McNealy (USA), 2015 Jon Rahm-Rodriguez (SPA), 2014 Oliver Schniederjans (USA), 2013 Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), 2012 Chris Williams (USA), 2011 Patrick Cantlay (USA), 2010 Peter Uihlein (USA), 2009 Nick Taylor (CAN), 2008 Danny Lee (NZL), 2007 Colt Knost (USA). —- Photo credit The R&A/Getty Images.
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