Kupcho closed with a 1-under 71 to match his partner Nelly Korda and Maguire in the 18-under 270 at the Blythefield Country Club. Maguire finished with 65 and overcame both playoffs. “It’s really special,” Kupcho said. “I was very close, but this leaderboard was a stack. I think that ‘s what I’m most proud of, are the players who were up there with me. It was a very close battle until the end and I am proud of that. “ Korda, last year’s winner, was 72 after taking a one-hit lead against Kupcho in the final round. Korda left the playoffs with a three-legged tie in the first extra trip under par-5 18th. Kupcho won the LPGA Tour for the second time, after her big win in early April at the Mission Hills in the California desert. The 25-year-old former star of Wake Forrest from Colorado won the inaugural Amateur National Women’s Augusta 2019. Results across the court from the Meijer LPGA Classic Kupcho started slowly with a double boom in third place in par-4 and a boom in sixth par-4. Jump with an eagle in par-5 eighth and the bird in par-4 ninth. At back nine, he hit par-4 12th and par-5 14th and booked par-4 16th. “I had a little trouble at first, so he tells me I can really come back from that,” Kupcho said. “I always knew I was a nine-back and that definitely came into play today.” Maguire won the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony in early February to become the first Irish winner in LPGA Tour history. The second-ranked Korda made her second start since returning from a four-month break due to a blood clot in her left arm. She tied for eighth place two weeks ago at the US Women’s Open in her first event since early February. “Unfortunately, sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t,” Korda said. “If you told me I thought three, four months ago, when I was in the ER that I would be here, I would be extremely happy.” Korda is also the defending champion next week at the KPGA Women’s PGA in Congress. Lydia Ko was fourth at 17 after 68. Lexi Thompson, the 2015 winner, closed with 70 to tie for fifth place in the 16th with Jessica Korda (67), Nelly’s older sister, and Carlota Ciganda (67) and Atthaya Thitikul (68). “Of course, it was not the result I wanted, but I felt strong all week and I played great golf, and nothing but positives to play in a major game next week,” Thompson said. Brooke Henderson, winner of ShopRite LPGA Classic last week in New Jersey and champion of 2017 and 2019 in Blythefield, had 72 to finish in the 15 down, Minjee Lee, winner of the US Women’s Open, was 11 down after 74.
