OCALA, Florida – A nasty migraine struck Jennifer Kupcho on the 12th hole in the opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship, blurring her vision for most of the back nine. One a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst, she rated it a 10. A stiff neck even led to numbness in her left hand, which kept her from trying to go for the par-5 18th in two. There was no way she could trust herself to hit the shot.
A late tee helped Kupcho ease into the second round with a much less severe migraine on Friday, rating this one as a two.
Despite it all, Kupcho sits atop the leaderboard at 10-under 134, knotted with fellow American Austin Ernst. Both players carded 67s in their first two rounds at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.
Kupcho battled a severe migraine when she won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, relying on her caddie to get through the worst of it. The migraines come without warning, and she had three over the offseason.
“The whole back nine (yesterday) I just pretty much wanted to get off the golf course and go lay down,” said Kupcho, “and pretty much felt that way the rest of the day probably until like 5:00 p.m.”
LPGA Drive On Championship: Leaderboard
As the only player in the field who knows what it’s like to win at Augusta National, one might think that the courses three replica holes might be a source of comfort to the third-year player.
“Yeah, they are very similar and the look is definitely very similar,” said Kupcho, “but I think I’m more nervous playing them than I was back then actually.”
With rain forecasted all day on Saturday and temperatures expected to drop significantly, Ernst went out and bought some Under Armour Heat Gear to prepare for the weekend.
“I’ve played in a lot of bad weather,” said Ernst. “I played one of my best rounds last year at the British Open in miserable weather, so there is no way it’s worse than that. If it’s worse than that I will be shocked.”
While Kupcho has a new caddie on the bag this year in Patrick Smith, Ernst has a familiar face in older brother, Drew, on the bag. After playing college golf at Coastal Carolina, Drew competed professionally before coming out to the LPGA to caddie for Austin. When the pressure mounts, Austin said, Drew knows what to say.
“I think the fact that he played I think is big,” said Austin. “He kind of knows what’s going through my head without me telling him. Part brother, part competitive golfer. I think that is what’s so nice.”
While Kupcho is looking for her first LPGA title, Ernst is a two-time winner on the LPGA, with the most recent coming last summer at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Carlota Ciganda sits two shots back at 8 under after carding the tournament’s low round of 7-under 65.
Last October, Ciganda went home to Spain after the Drive On Championship at Lake Oconee and suffered a bad fall while playing wall tennis. She twisted her left ankle and had a small fracture on her right elbow on the radial bone. After rehabbing for some time she returned for the final two events of the season but wasn’t feeling great.
She’s now pain-free and back with caddie Terry McNamara, Annika Sorenstam’s longtime caddie. Ciganda and McNamara worked together for four years before parting ways in 2020.
“I always enjoy working with him,” said Ciganda. “He’s very peaceful, experienced, very calm. I always enjoyed that. I think that’s what I need on the course.
“And we just have a great connection. I love him, his values, how he is. I think he knows me very well and I feel very comfortable with him out there.”
Nelly Korda, who won last week’s Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona, sits alone in fourth after a 2-under 70
“I was actually telling Jay (Jason McDede), my caddie, that props to the people that win back-to-back,” said Korda. “Honestly, it’s so mentally draining. I played on Tuesday, I played the back nine and I was just like, I do not want to be out here.”
Laura Davies, 57, posted a bogey-free 69 and is tied for 33rd.