Who can forget the dynamic duo of Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas at the 2021 Solheim Cup? What started off as an uncertain pairing, according to 2021 assistant captain Stacy Lewis, turned into a fiercely competitive matchup in Toledo, Ohio, and continues to this day at the 2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
“There's this level of comfort I have when I play with Jennifer, and we kind of started where we left off back in September in Toledo,” Salas said. “We got off to a shaky start, but that's how it was back at Solheim and we ended up winning both matches. She's there when I need her, and we finished strong both days, yesterday and today.”
During round one, which was played in an alternate-shot format, Team Youth on Course shot a solid 2 under that included four birdies and 12 pars. They kicked it up a notch on the second day of play, which featured a best-ball format, earning a 61 that moved them to solo second after two rounds. Though Kupcho is known for her phenomenal ball-striking abilities that bring her close to the hole, Salas earned the majority of the team’s 10 birdies in part due to her solid short game.
“It’s funny how she’ll hit it close and then I'll either chip in or make a bomb, then she'll just have to pick up,” Salas laughed. “Some holes, the longer holes, she takes care of it. As soon as I have wedge, I know what my job is.”
Heading into Moving Day, both Kupcho and Salas are looking to keep the momentum going. But, more importantly, their looking to keep a smile on Kupcho’s face. “I think I'm smiling more than I normally do, so that's a good thing, I guess. I never smile,” Kupcho laughed.
“She'll definitely smile a lot more,” Salas assured.
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