Within a week, Jennifer Kupcho will have approved her longtime friend Jay Monahan’s proposal and scored her first shot in a Solheim Cup. A couple of life-changing moments, the latest nervous experiences that Kupcho doesn’t shy away from.
“We actually chose the ring together, so I knew it was coming,” said Kupcho. “He wanted to make sure I really love it. It was cool doing it together.
“He took me to a really fancy, nice restaurant? [in Scottsdale called The Capital Grille]. The ring came out on the plate with the dessert and the plate read, ‘Will you marry me?’ It was really cute. We met for the first time on Superstition Mountain [Golf and Country Club] in Arizona. He worked there. I was a member. We’ve been together for a year and a half. “
Even if you know it will come out like Kupcho did when she helped her boyfriend choose an engagement ring, nothing prepares you for the moment he asks the question. And while you know it’s to come, like Kupcho did last month when she qualified for Team USA, nothing prepares you for the enormity of the first shot you will hit as a rookie in the Solheim Cup.
Her placements on the LPGA tour may help Kupcho settle in after the initial nervousness, but the setting will be a one-of-a-kind shock to the weekly stroke play grind she’s got used to.
“I’m really excited, definitely overwhelmed. The whole experience was really something special, ”said Kupcho. “I felt very comfortable with these girls, as well as [Assistant Captain] Angela [Stanford]just to make me feel good and ready for what’s next. I know it will be more overwhelming, so I have to keep reminding myself to slow down and relax. “
Her pod of Austin Ernst, Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas, led by Stanford, gave the Wake Forest University alumna a boost. It also showed her potential as she can contribute to Team USA now and in the years to come.
“I think Jennifer played on the big stage, played at Augusta National and won that.” [Women’s Amateur] Event, ”said Stanford. “That’s the biggest thing, but she’s very focused. Her demeanor makes her feel like she is not a beginner so I think she will be great.
“She’s very organized and focused on what she wants to do. You often don’t see that with newbies. Often newbies would look around and check things out, but she was very good at focusing. I have to remind myself that she’s a beginner because she didn’t act like one. “